The Legend of Cynder: A New Beginning
by GoldenGriffiness
Summary: An ebony egg floats down the Silver River. Thrown into Spyro's shoes in more ways than one, can Cynder overcome what awaits? Did Ignitus make a mistake that will destroy the realms' last hope of salvation? More importantly, will Sparx shut up long enough for Cynder to get anything done? And where is Spyro; dead...or worse?
1. PROLOGUE

(A/N: This is the first piece in my attempt to rewrite the story—when you come across a quality drop, now you'll know why.)

* * *

The sky was clear on the day that would change the fate of the world. Darkening skies were bathed in dusk-shine, making the tops of the local huge mushrooms shimmer like they were threaded through with gold. The shining Silver River, stark contrast to the golden-brown mushrooms, shone like a winding ribbon in the low light.

But in the seemingly serene dusk, there was a rumble of thunder. The skies were clear, the earth seemingly at peace, but the clatter of an army clashed against the cacophonous silence.

Blue eyes studied the army and its tall general before a great yellow form slipped into the still air. Great wings fell like drumbeats as a large shadow fell over earth, mushroom and water.

Alighting upon the ground, the dragon rushed beneath an ancient marble arch, murmuring long lists of curses under his breath. The great gold guardian sped into the temple, catching a second drake unaware.

The red dragon turned, noting the frantic air of the other. "Volteer. What's happened?"

"You must save them. The Dark Armies have come! More than we could ever battle against without proper aid."

_I remember now, like it was yesterday._

_In the Year of the Dragon, in a world beyond the Dark Realms…_

_I, like all the others, awaited the birth of the dragon promised to us by the last great prophecy._

Howling akin to mad hounds filled the tumultuous air, chilling their hearts with dread. In the sky, apes atop their foul dreadwing mounts must have been hurling stones because they struck the walls like thunder.

_But the claws of the Dark Master stretched farther than we knew, and it wasn't long until his keen ears had heard the prophecies as well._

_I should have hidden those eggs long before this had the chance to occur, but I thought we were ready. I thought we could keep them safe._

_Oh, Ancestors, how I was wrong._

Red wings beat the air, ruby scales reflected in silver-blue water below. Clutched to the dragon's chest like a prayer was a single obsidian egg.

* * *

I don't know why I'm here. Time moves around me—minutes, days, hours—in a life that stopped making sense years ago. I don't even know what I am. I know I'm different somehow.

I glance all around me, looking at the villagers' sparkling tiny bodies and dexterous hands. Glancing down, I study my own paws. I know my parents are hiding things. Information; like puzzle pieces that fell far beyond my reach. I trust them, though.

There must be reasons.

I don't know how, I don't know why. All I know is that somehow, I am different. All I know is who I am.

I am Cynder, and that will have to do for now.

_The shadows gather, the darkest hour will come._  
_Day feels so far away, somewhere beyond the distant dawn._  
_Don't let anything ever block your way; _  
_Don't let anything force you to sway._

_Lift your wings, hold on tight._  
_Don't forget, there's still moonlight._  
_And when all seems lost and the day isn't near, _  
_Your heart will say where to go from here._

_When the stars fade and it all becomes black, _  
_You've got to know that I've still got your back._

_Lift your wings, hold on tight._  
_Don't forget, there's still moonlight._  
_And when all seems lost and the day isn't near, _  
_Your heart will say where to go from here._

_Never fear a journey long; _  
_Never give up your own heart's song._  
_You must believe that there will come day._  
_I know you'll find the way._

_Brace yourself and hold on tight._  
_Even in the dark night there's still moonlight._  
_Even when dusk falls, the day will come again._  
_Eventually you'll find journey's end._

* * *

_The Legend of Cynder: A New Beginning_

Because sometimes the Legend is forced...and what if you're not the chosen one? Well, too bad, sunshine, because the world doesn't care. The Dark Army is coming. And there's nobody but you to stop them, Cynder. Have fun.


	2. FIRE

CHAPTER 1: FIRE

"Hey black girl! How's it going?"

That's my slightly older, yet much less mature brother.

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Catch me and I'll stop."

"I'm sleeping."

"Yeah, be afraid" he said "get your beauty sleep! You need it!"

I sighed and got to my feet "your funeral."

The chase followed, at first I was too board to really try, what's the point? He would just continue being the same self-centered idiot he always has been.

Sparx was idiot enough to try and hide well I was watching him, though he was most likely just trying not to hold the game up.

I appreciate started to move and chased him, it did feel good to run, and Sparx had probably got me up for this reason, neither of us particularly liked staying still for to long.

"I see you, my little glowing friend" I announced, catching up to my brother.

"Seeing and catching are two different things blackie!"

Blackie? He was so dead.

I caught up to him once again in a small ravine, he turned around and teased me "what's the matter Cynder? Can't fly? Oh that's right you walk everywhere! Oh that's just too bad!"

"Your toast when I catch you" I warned him.

He had barely gone another ten feet before he got himself caught by a frogweed, how do you even manage that? Frogweeds are so slow a snail could win a race against it. I heard his muffled voice inside the frogweed "all right, let me outa hear ya over grown fungus!"

The frogweed growled.

I should explain, my brother has a bit of a habit of mouthing off when he should just shut up.

"Cynder seriously, lend me a hand here will ya sis?"

"I don't know Sparx" I said coyly "if it will go too length of eating you the poor thing must be truly hungry!"

"Cynder" he demanded "whack it! Come on, I'm your friend! My wings are getting moldy!"

I sighed and spun, giving the thing a good strong hit with my tail blade.

The frogweed coughed up Sparx, who flew face first into my chest. Great, now there's frogweed stink on my chest.

He fell off "Ugg, now I smell almost as bad as you do!"

He flew back up, flashing his cocky grin "and that's pretty bad! See you latter sucker!"

Such gratitude!

I went on, destroying any idiot frogweed who dared to challenge me.

He continued into the cave, which was off limits.

"Sparx" I said "were not aloud in there and you know it."

"Don't act like you care, I know you don't" he said.

"True" I said and chased him in.

I looked around the gloomy cave.

Where has that little bug gone now?

I heard him, "Anyone see a giant black blob around here? I seem to have lost mine!"

That little gnat.

I chased him, more light-hatred than I had been in a long time, ramming or slicing any frogweed in my way as I raced past them.

I caught up to him again "you know this is getting a little boring-" he was saying, but he was grabbed by something, that then carried him away.

"Sparx" I yelped in surprise, I turned and got a good look at our assailant.

"And I thought frogweed were ugly" I muttered.

Apparently the whatever the heck it was didn't appreciate it's looks being insulted, however accurate the insult might be.

"I thought all of you guys were gone" it snarled. Great, a senile old monkey, though it was defiantly to big to be a monkey, hmm...

"Don't let her escape!" the thing ordered it's henchmen , Hench monkeys?

Regardless several of the monkeys died almost instantaneously.

Only I was aloud to torture Sparx.

After a while of repetitive and easy fighting I heard Sparx's mouth get the best of him. Again.

"Let me out of here and fight me like a err? thing, whatever the heck you are! You pathetic wrench!"

My brother always was a bit of a idiot. The strange creature didn't seam to approve of being mouthed of at by something less than a tenth it's size, I do know the feeling.

The thing jumped down, placed Sparx down in a small cage, and was about to smash him into nothing.

Suddenly I was seeing red. Literally, a plume of fire came from my maw, and nearly torched the monkeyish-thing.

The monkey dodged, leaving Sparx, looking rather pathetic trapped in a microscopic cage.

"Wha-" he stammered "Cynder, was that fire?"

I looked at the monkey, who had a small flame on the end of his tail, and didn't even notice, his tail looking for all the world like one of the candle's wicks that the village set everywhere for holidays.

These monkeys must be even thicker than I thought.

The temperamental monkey yelled at his henchmen or Hench monkeys or whatever the heck they are "apes, take care of her! I have to report to the general!"

So these things are called apes. Interesting.

The 'ape' walked off, it's tail burning brightly, I remembered it was carrying dynamite, if the tail brushed it...

BOOM!

Ouch.

I turned, and made short work of the remaining apes,exploating my strange new ability, however unsure I was of it's origins.

Having anilated the strange apes, I approached my brother, who was looking a little worse for the ware.

I knocked the cage into splinters. "You okay?"

"Cynder" he said "you could have toasted me!"

Didn't I say he was going to get torched? How ironic.

Then it started to hit me, I was going to have to get a strait answer out of my parents.

"Wait" Sparx said "we gotta talk to mom and da..."

A few minuets later, we were in front our parents, explaining.

"- so I was about to burst that little cage and send those things to the next century when Cynder let loose with some serious flame, no joke fire, from the mouth! Nearly burnt me to a crisp"

"Well sorry" I said "next time I'll let you handle it."

"Mom, dad you should have totally seen her! She was breathing fire!"

"I think they got that by now" I said, rolling my eyes.

My parents looked so sad, I wanted to comfort them, I just didn't know how.

"He is correct for once" I told them.

Dad sighed "I believe you." Sparx's mouth dropped. My father, Flash looked at me, I could see distinct pane in his eyes "It's just, now finally we have to tell you the truth."

Here it finally was, the truth I had known was kept from me.

So my parents told me how they had found my egg, how they had decided to raise me and how they wanted to keep me safe.

Mom looked so sad "you come from somewhere far away where wars roll on and on and the innocent always seem to pay the price."

It took me awhile to mull all of this over, I was adopted. I had always knew that must be the case, but for my parents to actually confirm it, it wrenched my heart. I came from far away, I could easily have guessed that as well, I hadn't exactly seen any others like me around.

But what to do now? I fiercely wanted to learn what I was, and that finally had me decided.

I am leaving, I want to know what I am.

So I prepared to leave. My mother gave me a white spider silk bag, it was something that takes forever to make, but is almost indestructible. My dad told me it was a ancient magic of the dragonflies, most sentient races have their own brand of magic he said. Dragonflies just happened to be bending other insects and arachnids to their will.

It was treated to be infallible, and spider's silk woven that thick could survive even if it was drenched in molten rock. I almost cried when mom gave it to me, it was the finest I had ever seen, and I had seen plenty of the bags and useful ideas made such.

I put in it the few things I owned, my small collection of perfectly smooth rocks, a small necklace of Spider silk with a purple amber drop dangling that contained a small butterfly that had been unfortunate enough to land in the purple ooze some of the huge mushrooms released.

Sparx had been avoiding me sense I decided, I wished with all my heart I could spend time with him before I left, but his hurt expression told me he could not bare it.

The day I planed to leave, I kept procrastinating, preying he would show, but he didn't.

Finally giving up, I traipsed towards where dad though the most likely direction was, only to my relief to be stopped by Sparx.

He looked so hurt, I felt bad enough before he started talking "so this is it?"

I just stared at the brother I laced so well, I couldn't bring myself to speak.

"Skipping off, not even looking back" he muttered, true betrayal in his eyes, but then a familiar stubborn glint. I had already said my goodbyes to my parents.

"I am going with you" he declared.

I couldn't find the strength to argue.


	3. DRAGON

Dragon.

We continued, huge mushrooms reached to the sky on either side, I swear I heard howling.

Sparx was shivering "Look, Cyn can we get out of here, please?"

I sighed, and sure to make it clear it was Sparx's idea, I barreled to the end of the valley.

O joy, more frogweed, at least they weren't more apes.

I killed them and jumped up onto a long round ledge.

A mushroom spider jumped out of the ground where it had disguised itself as a large mushroom.

I grinned; I knew exactly how to deal with these.

I hummed, though I couldn't hear it the pitch was to low.

The spider certainly did though. It groaned and covered the general area of its ears, before sinking back into the ground.

My father had taught me that, it was one of the ways most dragonflies defended themselves with their little knack with bugs.

It wasn't coming back.

I passed a few more spider mushrooms, but they must have heard me before, because they didn't dare bother me.

I probably wouldn't have bothered me either.

I continued on, sending a few more spiders back into the ground.

After a while more apes came, shouting their weird noises like the idiots they were.

I toasted most of them, wrinkling my nose at the smell of burnt fur.

I continued roasting the things, but I learned something new quite unceremoniously.

My fire breath had a limit a very short one at that.

Wale I was still recovering from the surprise I got whacked over the head, which hurt quite a bit

I snarled.

Needless to say the apes died. Quickly.

I looked ahead at a dead end. I would have to figure that out later.

I used some stones the apes had carried with them, who knows what they were, maybe the apes carried them for what I was now using them for.

Healing.

A large crash emanated from the previous dead end, two swamp-giants came through.

Luckily those things were slow, both mentally and physically.

I torched them, and they began to burn, but it took them ten minuets to realize they were on fire, and a good fifteen minuets to slap it. I watched slightly amused.

After they finally rid themselves of the fire, but they were so weak by then I just slashed them both once and they crashed to their knee's.

We had traveled a good distance longer when a deep ferocious roar sounded above us.

I admit, I jumped about five feet into the air, before running for all I was worth, I thought I saw a glimpse of a deep, dark dirty purple in the sky, but I blinked and it was gone.

"Breath Sparx ol boy go to your happy place" Sparx said to himself, breathing heavily.

"What the heck was that?" I said. Near panicked.

"I dunno" a quivering Sparx said, still shaking "but I'm going this way, far from it!"

"For once we agree" I said and we continued, approaching a cave.

On second glance it looked more like the entrance to a ruin, huge pillars stretched towards the sky, in order to hold a roof that was no longer there.

I barely had time to take that much in before I saw the creature looking at me from the entrance.

It looked like a lot like me, though a male and red. And he was bigger than me. A lot bigger.

"Whoa" Sparxs said "and I thought you were a big one!"

He wasn't kidding.

The red whatever I am stared "you're alive?" His head drooped "not that it will make a difference."

Gee, helpful.

"To late for what" I asked, if this guy knew where I came from I wasn't about to pass this opportunity "who are you? Do you know what I am? "

He stared. "You don't know" he said in his melancholy voice.

He was starting to annoy me "dose it sound like I know!"

"No" he said "it certainly does not."

"Well" I said, exasperated "than why don't you fix that?"

"You're a dragon" he said "when you were just an egg it was my job to protect you." He looked like he was about to cry "It was my job to protect all of you."

Clear as mud. But I couldn't help feeling sorry for the guy.

"There were others like us" I asked, more gently this time.

He nodded "there used to be so many" he hung his head. "Now..."

"There were four of us, guardians who were charged with protecting you and the other eggs. It was the year of the dragon, and the survival of those eggs was essential."

"But the temple is now overrun,"

"What temple? It's where I come from? I want to see it" I announced.

"No" he said sadly "the temple is overrun by enemies. You don't realize what state it must be in by now."

This guy was about as straightforward as frogweed.

"Well then who tried to kill us and why" I said, determined to get some semblance of an answer from this guy.

"The dark master sent his army to destroy the eggs, there was a prophecy that the purple egg in the clutch would hatch and destroy him. I, I was supposed to protect that egg" the dragon looked truly depressed "I failed."

"The prophecy said that the purple dragon that hatched the egg would create the power used for the dark master's demise."

"Ooookkkkkaaaaaaayyy" Sparx said "Cynder, are you sure this guy is right in the head?"

I did have a few doubts.

"Cynder is it?" Ignitus said, he looked down at me "well Cynder, I assure you I am telling you the truth."

He stood up "the dark armies attacked intent on destroying the eggs and killing the rest of us, they nearly succeeded. Then, they lay siege to the other islands. It was war."

I stared at him in shock.

"We fought them all over the islands, brutal clashes. The dark master was intent on destroying every last one of us. The other guardians and I led are small yet valiant forces into battle after battle after battle. But just as it seamed that some quantity of hope for us returned, he came."

"Who's _he?_"

"He is a horrific, monstrous, demonic shadow dragon who fills the skies with terror. An unstoppable force of nature."

"What's his name?"

Ignitus shook his head "no one knows, throughout the lands he is known only as the General."

"Yeah" Sparx said, "you had me at ferocious, listen Cynder" he turned towards me "doesn't that sound like the thing that chasing us?"

"Yes" Ignitus said "he still searches for me, years ago I watched as the general abducted my fellow guardians in battle as if they were no more than grapes off a vine."

"Without them the little hope that remained no longer exists. Only I, Ignitus managed to escape." The maroon old dragon looked at his forefeet "not that it matters. He rules all, and I sit here, knowing I have failed."

"Wow" Sparx said sarcastically "sounds fun; I want to hang out with this guy!"

I snorted "for once your right."

I ignored Sparx's surprised and asked "I am?"

"Why have you given up? I'm here. Your here, you didn't say the other guardians are dead, so I suggest you get off your but and do something about it!"

He gaped at me as I continued "I just found out what I am, and I will find this temple, with or without you."

"Cynder!"

"Shut up Sparx." Sparx looked hurt.

"Cynder" he said "it's not as simple as that. It's true that the prophecy's said this age of darkness would come to a end when the purple egg was laid, but they did not speak of the state we are now in."

I snorted "stop depending on these prophecies to fix all your problems and instead of accepting what ever they say get of your big red but and fix it! I refuse to let words control my life." This dragon's constant downing was getting really annoying.

The guardian sighed "very well, you deserve to see where you come from before it all ends."

Great, what an improvement.


	4. ONE APE TO MANY

One ape too many

Ignitus walked towards the door, and then turned around "the General's forces must have knocked the two other statues out of place."

"Uh yeah so?" I asked, wishing this dragon would give me a straight answer for once.

"On the other side there are two statues, they belong on the platforms near them, and the door will open only when all four statues are correctly placed."

"Uh yeah" Sparx said "I've always been bad at geography so what do you want us to do?"

"Cynder, I need you to go in there and replace the statues."

"How can I get in?"

"There's a small tunnel animals use to access the caves, find it and use it."

Finally a straight answer.

"Animals" Sparx exclaimed, and then looked at me "okay you know what? You go and have fun with that, I'm waiting here."

The thing wasn't exactly hard to find, it just had some vines covering it., I jumped up and smashed them, then entered the tunnel. Two mushroom spiders greeted me, but they went back into hiding the secant I started humming. I came to a weak part in the floor, and it was the only way to proceed, so I jumped up and spun, slicing it into bits with my tail before hovering down.

The annoying news, I had more spiders to deal with. The good news? I found the statues.

I sent the spiders packing and through my shoulder against one statue and then the other, pushing them into place. I wished I had horns like Ignitus' ,then I could just ram them with those, as it was my small horns pointed backwards, and if I tried I would just hit my forehead.

The doors creaked open and Ignitus walked in, Sparx followed.

Ignitus looked down "any trouble?"

I yawned "A few insects, but they were too easy."

He paced to another door, and placed a paw on it "The past is prelude, tomorrow is a dim promise. Allow us entrance, do not reject us."

Depressing password for a depressing guy I guess.

"Are you making that up" Sparx asked without answer

Ignoring Sparx Ignitus said "It should open for us, however there is a disturbance."

"This can't be good" Sparx stage whispered.

I grinned "Hello captain obvious." I turned to Ignitus.

He sighed "there are statues inside as well, replace them."

I looked around "How?"

"Mnnnn?"

"How do I get in?"

"You want my help" he asked.

"I want to get in, I can't exactly reach that" I nodded to a hole that seemed to be the only way in irritation.

He walked over, slowly. Does this guy ever do anything quickly?

When he was under the whole he sighed "hop on."

"Alright" Sparx quipped "old guys getting some life."

I hopped on, he arched his back and I jumped into the tunnel.

I saw a multi colored gem, I felt like hitting it would help me somehow, so I hit it. The shards that it produced looked just like the gems the apes had dropped when I killed them.

"What the heck was that about" Sparx asked "why did ya do that?"

I shrugged and merely said "because I can."

"I hate it when you say that" he complained.

"Ever wonder if that's why I say it?"

He didn't have a retort.

We continued until we found a small room.

"Cynder" Sparx said "I found the statues!"

"_You_ found them? _I _found them. But you found something too."

He looked surprised I gave him any credit "what did I find?"

"More apes, good job Sparx,"

I proceeded to kill the apes Sparx had _'found.'_

Then I shoved the statues where they belonged.

I continued through quite a few little rooms, doing the same thing. Who knew fighting could get so repetitive?

I finally placed all the statues and crashed right through the door to get back to Ignitus. I could have just opened it, but what's the fun in that?

Now I was looking down to see Ignitus, who looked slightly amused "that's quite the entrance young dragon."I flashed him my cocky smirk."There might be hope for us yet."

He walked on, as slow as ever and I followed.

I stopped him when we found more of the strange crystals "what are these?"

He sat down "these are spirit gems, a gift from the ancestors."

He still had issues with making his thoughts clear "A gift lovely, what kind of gift and how can it help us?"

"A gift that speaks across generations."

"Oh that clears things up" Sparx said.

"A gift that empowers you with the spiri…"

"Will you get to the point" I complained.

He sighed "you hit it and it helps you."

"How does it help you?" I did know but I was determined to get a straight answer, just to prove I could.

"It heals you" he said.

"Good" I said "now that's cleared up let's keep going."

We continued going for a minute, I might have imagined it but it seemed to me Ignitus was finally going a little faster.

A ape voice rung from somewhere.

Ignitus sighed "here that?"

"Yeah" I said "what does it mean?"

"It means what I feared-"

"Okay then what did you fear" I said sarcastically.

"There are intruders in the temple, perhaps we should turn back."

I snorted "You want me to turn back after coming this far? I'm sorry but that's not happening, I've come too far for that."

"This door being closed means there are intruders behind, it's how the temple protects itself.

"So" I said "it closes _after_ the intruders get in?"

"Yes."

"Well it doesn't work to well does it" Sparx said sarcastically.

"The door stays shut when the enemies are inside."

I grinned "and?"

"The only way to get in is if-"

"Don't say it" Sparx interrupted.

"The intruders get their butts kicked for them" I finished.

"I told you not to say it" Sparx groaned."

I flashed him my smug smile.

If you don't have a door, make one.

The huge pillars were simple dominoes in my mind.

A couple secants later a crash was heard, loud enough that it shook the ground.

Sparx scowled "was that necessary?"

"Most likely not" I replied.

"Then why did …"

"Because I can" I said before he could finish his comment, the retort he hated more than any other.

Another cave, oh joy. More apes, what fun! Dynamite? The dynamite I could do without.

After a harder than average battle what would crash through the wall? More apes of course, what else would crash through a wall?

I went through the door they had kindly created to find...

Another ape. Doesn't the dark side or whatever you call it have something better than apes?

I killed the new, slightly more powerful ape and continued on.

I continued on, and couldn't hide my grin at what I saw next.

The apes are clearly even thicker than I thought; I mean what kind of idiots sleep next to a bomb? When they couldn't even see the end of the fuse?

Needless to say they didn't live long enough to regret their mistake.

A few minutes later I rejoined Ignitus.

I drew air in my nose.

"What do you smell" Sparx asked "ooh let me guess! it's a ape."

"It's not a ape."

"Then what is it" he groaned.

"It's lots of apes."

They appeared, looking a little threatening for once, due to their vast number.

Lovely. There was _no_ way even I could deal with so many.


	5. TEMPLE

Temple

Ignitus went in front of me, apparently to protect me, which surprised me a little. From the little I've seen of him he doesn't even remotely seem like a fighter. Maybe he used to be, but he seemed a little to... err... Regardless he didn't exactly seem like he could keep up with battle.

The largest ape stared at Ignitus "Well Ignitus, we grabbed your guardian buddy's but you managed to escape our clutches." Small beady eyes narrowed "until now." I would have laughed at this pathetic speech if I wasn't scared out of my mind.

Ignitus sighed and stepped forward "stand back Cynder, and let me show you what a dragon trained in the ancient ways can do."

I had to admit, that did sound a little egotistical, particularly from this depressed old guy.

The big ape shouted orders to the little apes in well, ape. Apeian? Apish? I had no idea

Two smaller apes rushed at Ignitus, who torched several. They disappeared to my relief before the smell of Burt fur could permeate the aria.

"Okay" Sparx said "old guys got some moves."

He made short work of four or five of them, but then the leader shouted something in ape and the remainder rushed at him all at once. Ignitus curled in on himself and just as I was about to jump in and try and help he uncurled himself quickly and as he did unleashed a huge wall of fire.

I gasped in awe. The apes burst, the gems they carried now scattered on the ground. But then he fell to his knees in exhausted.

I ran to him "are you okay?"

"Yes Cynder" he said sadly "I am fine, as I get older it takes longer to recover."

"That was amazing Ignitus" I said "I want to learn how to do that!"

He shook his head "I am afraid I cannot teach you Cynder, I can teach fire, and you are obviously not a fire dragon."

"Huh" I said "does that mean I can't breathe fire?" I realized I hadn't actually done it in front of him yet.

He nodded "black dragons are shadow dragons, and you are clearly black."

"Well I breathe fire."

He sighed "we cannot change how we are born Cynder."

"I can, see?" I let out a small burst of fire to prove my point.

He looked very confused "that should not be possible."

"Well apparently it is." I said dryly.

"How did you lea-"he shook his head "we will discuss this later, but for now you must fight. If The Generals forces are here there is no doubt there are more in the temple."

I grinned "They won't be there for long."

Sparx groaned "great, now she's getting even more cocky."

Right on cue the door opened to reveal... more apes, what a surprise.

I sighed and killed them, the next door opened to reveal, more apes.

Why must the dark side be so repetitive? Why? They could at least throw in a baboon or something else more original.

I sighed and killed the oh so repetitive apes.

Ignitus followed me and we entered a room with a round tubish thing with green water.

That's right, green water, I hoped it wasn't for drinking; I didn't even want to think about how it could be green, I lived in a swamp, and I can testify. If water's green don't drink it. I shook my head as I remembered a rather embarrassing memory of when I was five. I had spent the next three days in my little nest back home heaving up well, you don't want to know.

I followed him to the next door which opened, Ignitus looked both sad and happy. He muttered something, I think it was either "home sweet home "or "hope sweet hope." Somehow I thought it was both, however impossible that was.

A huge circular door was beyond the door, but what was really incredible was the towering statue in the middle.

I estimated it was more than twenty feet tall, and half that of so around. It was a huge dragon like Ignitus and I, but it made me uncomfortable, I felt like a devious glare stayed on me.

Eager to get behind it and away from the glowing eyes I began to go around the statue to find need I say it? More apes.

There were so many it took a good half hour to kill them all.

Ignitus and I walked to the other side of the room, I felt like the statue was watching me but I was probably just being delusional.

Ignitus was still going at a snail's pace but at this point was to worn out d to care, I was grateful.

Ignitus looked at me in concern "perhaps you should rest young dragoness, it has certainly been a long day for both of us."

"But I wan-" I yawned, unable to keep my eyes open.

He laughed quietly "rest my da-, young dragon, we can talk to our hearts content in the morning."

To tired to even wonder at what he said I curled up right where I was and slept, Sparx lying across my small muzzle.


	6. DO IT OR DIE

Do it or Die

When I awoke I found Ignitus sleeping in by the strange pool I had seen before.

"Ignitus" I asked.

He opened his eyes to my surprise; I guess he hadn't actually been asleep.

"Ah Cynder" he said "finally awoken?"

I nodded "I wanted to ask, you said it was strange that I could use fire?"

He nodded "all dragons except for the rare purple dragon use one element and one alone, in a way you could even describe them at slightly different species."

"So why can I use fire?"

He shook his head "I do not know, perhaps one of your parents was a fire dragon and the other a shadow, when dragon eggs are laid it is the strict law that no dragon raises their own egg. No one is even supposed to know which egg is theirs."

"That's awful" I said "why the heck would they be forced to do that?"

"It is believed that all hatchlings should have a equal chance at the beginning of their lives" Ignitus said "it was the custom that no one would know their own, so they can also not give their own any unfair disadvantages."

I wasn't even close to mollified "I still hate it."

He nodded "though it dose resemble sense in a strange distorted way, I never had agreed with it, and when the purple egg was born it seemed to me we floated all the equality we were said to strive for, and our greatest crime in my opinion? The eggs were kept together, and finally when the apes attacked they had to look only in one place to find all of them."

He sounded bitter more than sad, and more vehement than I had yet heard him.

"Ignitus" I asked "May I ask you something personal."

"You may, whether or not I answer will depend on the question.

I looked at my forepaws, shuffling them in slight embarrassment "If the purple egg was so important, why did you not save it?"

He looked down "I panicked Cynder, I took hold of the egg I saw first, I planned to save them all, but in a way I think I was determined to prove that the purple egg was as deserving of the chance as any of the others, but when I returned the dais that had held the eggs had shattered, it had shattered barely after I left with you, before he was taken a fellow guardian told me a idiot of an ape had tried to grab onto the eggs, but had tripped and capsized the whole dais. After that only the purple egg remained, but still" he lowered his head "the ape that had gone after the others went after the purple egg, and I did not get there in time."

I shivered; it was the longest saddest thing I had heard him recall yet.

Great, if he had saved that egg instead of me who knows what would have happened? I felt like a walking, talking mistake.

"Well" I said, I so did not want to think about that. "Can you show me what you were going to show me last night?"

He sighed and stood up "follow me."

I followed until we passed the creepy statue and when to a small balcony, I looked out to see desecration.

Seriously it looked like the inside of a frogweed's stomach, and I actually know what those look like. It had taken A LOT of practice to learn my clean fighting style; I try to forget the mess the first frogweed had been in when I finished my first fight with one of the things.

It wasn't pretty.

I looked around in shock at what was supposed to have been my home as an egg.

"What happened here?" I asked in a small voice, to shocked to even try to think of something witty to say.

Ignitus sounded so sad as he said "this is what the general has done; put all of the islands under his iron rule."

I shook my head, my voice was shaking slightly "I asked to see this, but now... There's, there's barely anything left to see."

"Yeah no offence dude" Sparx said, "but this place is a bit of a dump."

It was the understatement of the year...

"Listen Cynder" Ignitus said "this was once are home, if we work together we can make it our home once again, reclaim the land that has been ours for generations."

"What's that supposed to mean" I asked the dragon.

He sighed "I mean that my time for heroics is past, but with your help we may be able to defeat the General and reclaim the peace we have lost."

"Sorry big guy" I said "I don't think I can, I just learned what I am."

"You can Cynder, you can" Ignitus put his head down so we were at eye level "you are one of a mighty race."

"Which means this 'general' is too" I answered.

"Cynder, listen to me" he said solemnly "many are lost and dyeing, hopeless and afraid, will you turn your back on them?"

"YES" Sparx yelled "Cyn, don't do it, you can't fight a war on your own!"

Ignoring this Ignitus continued "you've given me hope again, now it's time to give hope to all of them."

Sparx started to argue but stopped when he saw a familiar steely glint in my eyes. In the past he had dubbed it 'the do it or die' look.

Now it really was.

He knew better than to argue with it.

Heck, even my parents knew better than to argue with it.

I knew what he saw in my eyes.

It was a look that screamed 'get out of my way or die.'

He's lucky it wasn't directed at him.

Because whatever enemy saw that look better run away pretty dang fast, either that or they _will_ die.

"I hope you know what you've gotten us into" Sparx whispered to Ignitus.

I didn't care.

I gave Ignitus my best ruthless look.

"Where do we begin?"


	7. THE FERAL FLAMES

The Feral Flames

I followed Ignitus to the creepy statue room; he was saying "the style you use with your fire is crude, archaic and obvious." Gee nice. "yet you get the job done."

Was that a complement or not? I had no idea.

"Not bad, considering you haven't been taught anything about what it means to be a dragon."

I sincerely hoped being a dragon was not dependent on being a constant pessimist, because I absolutely refuse.

"Thanks" I said uncertainly "I think..."

"But if you're going to have a chance against the General and his army you are going to have to learn a lot more."

"Oh good school" Sparx quipped.

I never had school, for the obvious reason I couldn't fit in the tree stump it was held in or fly with the class with the flying lessons. Which was what they did, they learned how to fly, basics indoors and practicing out. Sparx had assured me I wasn't missing anything.

Ignitus leaned towards Sparx "unlike any school you've ever known young friend."

Sparx had absolutely despised school, so that was either very good it's different or very bad it's different.

I didn't know.

Ignitus looked at me "now it's time to unleash the true dragon within you."

Well, it sounded like this would be interesting if nothing else.

Ignitus continued "each of the remaining guardians is master of an element."

I stared in both shock and slight relief as the creepy statue began to sink into the floor, how is that even possible?

"I am as you may have surmised am master of fire" he continued "pay attention and someday you may be as well."

The statue was now completely under us covered with floor.

"You seem to have learned the ability to breath fire on your own, that's very impressive" Ignitus said he nodded and two fully mobile dummy's seemed to pop out of the ground.

"Allow me to observe what you have learned thus far" Ignitus finished.

I toasted the dummy's, grateful they did not have fur to smell like well, burnt fur.

I must admit I was thoroughly enjoying this, they were defeated all to quickie, though they left some of those strange gems behind which I used to revitalize myself.

"Very good young dragon" Ignitus said "this time, see if you can chase them down with your fire breath."

This was easy enough, and fun.

Once I had deep fried the last of them Ignitus said "you awaken my hopes once more."

I had to knock them into the air, which was nearly impossible due to the placing of my horns, I had to tip my head down as far as possible before flipping it up, and catching the thing on my horns, than throwing my head back.

Then I had to do it again, but then jump after them and kill them there, after that I was asked to horn dive.

"How" I asked irritably.

"Jump" Ignitus said "then as you come down simple hit them with your-"

"Forehead "I asked irritably "I'm sorry Ignitus but I can't" I pointed my chin down so he had a good view of my black silver marked forehead "my horns are to small and there pointed backwards."

"You are correct, I apologize young dragon. I am accustomed to teaching fire dragons, who's horns are nearly always upright or point up then rounded back."

So he skipped any that involved head butting and continued to more of knocking the enemy up into the air, again and again and again, only with a slightly different stile each time. It was getting a little aggravating until finally it was changed to throwing balls of fire.

Now that was fun, at least after I figured out how to direct it correctly, I had to make the smallest possible opening with my mouth in order to make the ball, and then I sort of had to envision exactly where I wanted it to land.

I had to do several slightly different forms of that before proceeding.

After those were done I heard Ignitus say "now for the real challenge."

Uh oh.

At Ignitus' request I went to the middle of the floor.

"You have demonstrated the ability to control and manipulate fire, it is clear you have a strong kinship with the flame, but now it is time to unleash it's full fury."

I wondered if that had been what he had done when he had unleashed that huge wall of fire. I grinned, that was what I had looked forward to learning most.

"Feel the fire consume you, flow through you, and when you need it the most, you must allow it to release itself."

I had to kill more dummies, but unlike before they released a new purple gem, and when I absorbed them I had a sense that something was growing inside me. More and more power was gained with the purple gems, until I felt like I was ready.

I removed the block inside me that was holding that power back, the very force of it was lifting me off the ground.

I was suddenly enveloped in a orange light.

Though what happened next was over in a few secants, it felt like eternity to me.

My whole body heated up, fire burned my veins, and I thought I heard a harsh feral voice inside me say '_release it_.'

'_who...?_'

'_I am fire, you called me didn't you?_'

'_But fire isn't alive..."_

'_Fire, is born, it grows and it dies, not unlike any plant or animal. Nothing can control it, it can be caged and it can die, but it is alive. No one can control it, ask for its aid yes. But if you take fire to lightly you will get burned.' _The voice warned _' Now released it.'_

'_Yes' _I said weakly and suddenly I was the fire, I took in the oxygen around me and expanded. I was so hungry, fire was always hungry. And it was free.

I felt the fire that was me and wasn't me expand, eagerly devouring the wooden dummy's.

It almost had Sparx too, who had flown closer, perhaps worried about me when I had risen off the ground.

But I was the fire, somehow _'no'_ I said '_not him_.'Even as the fire washed over him my confused brother hovered, the untamed fire reluctantly left him untouched.

And the entity that was me and yet wasn't me accepted this, though the feral ravenous power wanted more it finally conceded and returned to within me. I threw up every barrier I could so it would not escape again without my leave and collapsed, breathing hard against the floor.

The creepy statue rose once more from the floor, and I barely stayed awake long enough to hear Ignitus say I may go to sleep for the night.


	8. THE BLACK SPIRIT

The Black Spirit

I woke halfway through the night to see Sparx shivering besides me on top of one of me forepaws. His usual place on my muzzle was unavailable because my other paw was resting over it. I smiled slightly and careful not to wake him draped one wing over, Before I fell back into sleep.

I finally re-woke and found Ignitus in the pool room staring into the green water, his eyes darted around as if he were watching a fish.

Sparx flew up to his face, forcing him to look up "so what's with the pool big guy?"

Ignitus rolled his eyes as he said "if you must know, certain dragons have the ability to see visions, the hopes, memories and dreams of others, or to see what's happening in distant places."

He sighed "I am one of these dragons, and visions come forth to me within this pool."

"Oh really" Sparx said skeptically in a purposely nasal voice "Is that so?"

"Okay then" he said "what am I thinking now? Okay Now? Now? Now?

"It's not that easy Sparx," Ignitus said, looking slightly amused "it takes time, reflection and patience."

"Yeah and so?" Sparx said "besides knowing that Cynder is _never_ going to do it how does it help us?"

I swatted him gently with my tailblade, smiling despite myself.

"What I do see" he continued "is that Volteer, guardian of electricity is being held on Dante's Freezer. Cynder, well I look for details of the other I want you to go there and find out what you can."

I grinned "sounds fun."

"Cynder" he said, "Remember, you are just looking around. If you encounter the general, run, you're not ready to face him yet."

"So when people try and kill me run, got it" Sparx said.

"I run, you fly" I corrected.

"So, what can you tell me before I go" I said, wishing to know as much as I could beforehand.

He sighed sadly "Dante's Freezer is a desolate arctic expanse, once the battleground of two great armies. Now it is littered with the wreckage of machines and corpses of those who owned them, frozen solid in the poster of destruction for all eternity. You must find Volteer before he is lost forever."

Wow, "Sounds fun" I said, sarcastically "let's go!"

"Thanks for the reassurance" Sparx said sarcastically.

"Wait" I said, realizing that a freezing wasteland would be nowhere near our current position "how do we get there?"

I started to worry when I saw Ignitus smile.

"Why are you smiling" Sparx said "I don't like it."

A minute later we were staring at Ignitus like he had just grown two fluffy sky-blue rabbit ears.

Me random? Not at all.

I sighed "You think I can fly? I'm sorry Ignitus but I've tried. Doesn't work so well."

Sparx started laughing shamelessly at memory's of my youth I refuse to discuss.

Gripping his stomach Sparx said "I think you've been in those caves a little to long old man, Cynder can't fly we all know that."

I growled warningly. Sparx laughter was now coupled with huge hiccups, enough that he fell to the floor because they unbalanced him.

I hope it hurt.

"No kidding" I said "you need some fresh air big guy, I've never flown in my life."

That smile again "it's you who will be getting the fresh air Cynder."

God, I did not want to make a fool of myself in front of him.

"Now" he said calmly "Cynder, I want you to close your eyes."

I sighed, still skeptical but complied.

"Now empty your mind."I did my best, but not thinking was never one of my strongpoint's.

Ignitus sighed, he could tell this wasn't working.

"Cynder, I want you to imagine yourself in the middle of a pool."

This I could do. It was the easiest way for me to calm down. It helped me sleep when nothing else could, though usually it wasn't this particular vision.

I was standing on water, it swirled around, a small damn prevented it from going on. It was windy, and the water splashed this way and that , as chaotic as my own thoughts and fears were at the moment.

"I want you to let you fears, your worries, your memories, everything soak into that water. It's still there, but it's isn't inside of you."

I complied to the best of my ability and suddenly the water was turning more than ever, I could even see little splashes of different colors in it, dark and light of every color of the rainbow.

"Now something is blocking them from flowing downstream, I wasn't you to break it."

I took one forepaw and struck the small damn, it flickered and disappeared.

The water now was free, it flowed down the small brook, carrying my fears and worries with it.

"Now," he said " take a deep breath."

I did. In and out, in and out. In. Out. In. Out...

"Yes, that's it" he said quietly.

"Now feel the power of the Ancestor's coursing through you body, In times of crisis they will come to you and teach you."

I felt like there was a dragon beside me, I could even somehow sense what she looked like, however little sense that makes.

She was coal black, with eight ivory horns stretching from the back of her head. She had bright vibrant green eyes and dark grey stomach scales. She had two lard grey and black wings and a silver symbol on her forehead. Two grey and black wings folded against her body. Her long tail, tipped with a ivory scythe curled around me, and one grey and black wing covered me protectively.

"Unlocking powers you never knew you had" Ignitus continued, I wasn't listening.

The strange spirit looked at me, and sadly removed her tail from around me, resting one tip reassuringly against my shoulder.

'_Look inside'_ she whispered '_it's always been there._'

I reached inside myself, past the inferno that had been there sense I had discovered fire fury, somewhere around where my heart should be.

I barely heard Sparx, he was so far way "This I got to see" he muttered, as all sound began to fade away.

All I could here were Ignitus and the spirit dragon's voice as the lapsed into saying the same thing simultaneously "just forget everything you thought you knew, forget yourself. Only though forgetting will you remember what your ancient blood already knows."

The spirit dragon continued well Ignitus paused "'_Now_ , _release it. As the sun rises, as the moon rises, as the hawk and the eagle do, take flight.' _

Ignitus continued a moment later "you can fly."

As if through a fog I felt my wings flap, up and down, up and down.

'_The sky calls to you child' _the black spirit said '_answer it.'_

Up and down, up and down, feet only scraping the ground. Up and down, up and down...

Feet scrambling on thin air, up and down, up and down.

'_now _'the black spirit said '_open your eyes,'_

'th_ank you…'_

'_I'm always with you' _she said '_never forget.'_

The spirit turned her head and looked at Ignitus for a moment before dissolving into shadow.

'_Goodbye' _I said, wishing she, whoever she was could stay.

'_Never say goodbye little one' _I heard her say '_I will always be with you.'_

And then she was gone.


	9. UP N' OVER

Up n' Over

I was flying.

I couldn't get that fact out of my head.

The brilliant white clouds surrounded me.

I was racing them, and they were losing.

Badly.

I closed my eyes, feeling the wind caress my face, I sighed in simple ecstasy as my wings cleanly sliced through the wind.

"Are you kidding" Sparx yelled over the wind "she's flying, welcome to the club black girl!"

Grrrr... Trust Sparx to ruin the moment.

"Would that be the annoying pest club" I said "if so I'm not interested."

"No smart aleck" Sparx retorted "the flying club!"

I sighed "this is amazing!"

I dived down through a white fluffy cloud, and was surprised at how humid and warm it was inside.

Moister collected on my wings, weighing me down, so I exited the cloud and made a mental not to keep away from them.

The thing is I wasn't sure where to go, then I remembered how I sort of commanded my fireballs to hit when I was fighting. I wonder...

I released a fireball and tried willing it to lead me to Dante's freezer. It complied, but after a while lost life, so I had to continue to through another small fireball every few minutes, I made sure to make it small enough that it barely scratched my breath power.

I started to see islands, Ignitus had called them the Giant's Footpath.

What the heck is that?

It looked like, I don't know what it looked like.

I swooped closer, it looked like a huge green wail with eight set's of flippers.

"Okay, giant green thing moving on" I muttered.

Suddenly we were at the next island, and about fifteen canons were shooting at me.

"Whaaaaa" Sparx screamed, grabbing one of my horns in fright.

I power flapped up, dodging speeding cannonballs, until finally I was too high to shoot.

"I vote we stay up here" Sparx said, shaking.

"You're not getting a argument from me" I agreed.

After several more minuets I saw ice and glaciers "I think were this is it."

I wasn't sure how to land, so I just pretended I was jumping-gliding and landed a little inside the gat, like I always would. It was a little harder landing, but not terribly so.

"Urk" I complained, shaking my wings loose.

Sparx looked at me "wings sore?"

I sighed and nodded.

"Hmm..." he said "takes awhile to get used to."

"Thanks?" I said, how unlike him to give encouragement. I looked around at the snow, I wanted to roll in it, it was just so beautiful. I had never seen so much. In the winter the swamp occasionally got a light dusting but no more. The frozen metal held a sort of eerie beauty as well, but the frozen warriors and the spiking metle did make chills run down my spine.

"Of course" he said "it doesn't help that your carrying all that weight!"

"What" I glared at him, daring him to continue.

"You know" he said "through in a salad every once and a while, you might be ok..."

I spun around, whacking him with my tailblade. I flew a good twenty feet, hitting a frozen warrior in the face.

"Ow..."he complained, flying back to me "was it weird that just blinked at me?"

I looked at him with slight worry, I hadn't meant for him to hit his head that hard, but maybe...

"Let's just start moving" I said.

Turns out he was right.

The two ice things burst open and attacked me.

"Ice cubes alive" Sparx yelped.

Oh brother.

I killed the thawed warriors and continued on to find a giant metal wall.

A catapult stood there, pointed at the wall.

Whoever designed the defense were a little slow.

"Why don't we use this thing to knock that bad boy down" Sparx said.

I raised a obsidian eyebrow "why?"

"To get in duh" Sparx said.

"Ever think of flying?"

A creature who can fly but goes around working to destroy doors must be a idiot.

Sparx's face reddened "err that could work to..."

I shook my head and flew over the gate.

I continued to fly for a few minuet before finding a huge ape using magic to block a doorway.

Over the door way was thin air.

The ape was preventing me from walking past.

The one problem with that plan?

I was flying.

I flew foreword, grabbed the white ape, and threw him into his own barrier.

Apparently the barrier hurt, because the ape died quickly.

I swooped down and absorbed the spirit gems before flying up again.

I continued on, and the idiotic apes continued trying to block my way on the ground.

So I flew over them, throwing fire until they died and collecting their gems.

I now could use fury if at some point I needed it.

A couple of dreadwing, a species Ignitus had warned me about dropped bombs from above me.

I dodged, grabbed the chain on the bomb and through it back at them.

Ouch.

The bombs had some sort of spell on them that made them light, otherwise the dreadwinds and I couldn't lift them.

A ice cannon shot a thin stream of ice at me, which hit my wing , freezing it

The cannon didn't live for long.

But until my wing thawed I was stuck on the ground.

I heard a loud roar from somewhere, and looked up to see a black, muscular dragon covered in rithing shadows with two pure white pupiless eyes fly overhead, thank the ancestors I was on the ground or he would have seen me.

"You think that was the general" Sparx asked.

"I sure hope so" I answered dryly.

Sparx looked at me like I had grown an extra head.

"Well" I answered his look tersely "if it isn't that means that there are more than one huge evil demonic dragon around here."

"Oh yeah" he said weakly "I hope it was him to"

I continued on, this time having to fight with the apes that blocked my way. I often trough them into their own barrier, killing them instantly.

At least there was some variety, occasionally I got to torch some warriors as well. Apes were so ridiculously stupid they were easy.

Eventually I had to use Sparx's 'idea' with the catapults, knocking things into smithereens and having a blast doing it.

"Using these was a good idea" I said to Sparx "glad _I_ thought of it."

"You? No!"

I grinned smugly at him "never, ever, ever, _ever_ call me fat."

_Arthur's note_

I'm truly sorry if you wanted Cynder to go through all the apes and what naught. I am trying to give her a completely different personality with this, and if she see's a shortcut she WILL use it. It just depends what I can think of as Arthur to help her. I also want opinions on something, I'm thinking of having a occasional chapter that's not the story but a interview with the characters. Please review and give me your opinion, good or bad with anything =)


	10. ZAP!

Zap!

Not long after that we were in front of a towering metal building, and more enemy's were coming out of it.

Then something weird happened, a large thunderbolt came arching from the top of the building, the very air around it crackled with power.

It was so sudden and painfully bright that I squeezed my eyes shut.

Then it hit me.

And I felt like I was on fire.

I stumbled and stumbled backward, head over tail; I even scratched my tail with my own horns.

I swayed unsteadily, then blinked my burning eyes looking at the creatures who had no doubt controlled the blast.

They would die.

"Cyn!" Sparx said as I leaned down, shaking angrily like a dog

"You okay, sis?"

I planned to torch them.

But out of my mouth came my own little thunderbolt.

Sure as hell didn't see that one coming.

The things ran right into over a thousand volts.

The idiots.

"Woo!" Said a surprised Sparx.

"I guess so, did that really just happen?"

"Apparently..." I muttered. The good thing was that my wing was finally better.

I looked at the tower with the zap-cannon and released a evil grin.

I had a idea.

"Why do I not like that look?" Sparx muttered.

He should just be glad I wasn't looking at him with it.

This wasn't the 'do it or die' look.

This was the 'I hope someone has finished writing their will because they are going to need it soon.' look.

I killed the warriors outside and went into the tower.

It was sort of depressing, plain steel, a plain spiraling staircase, I went to find the idiot warrior directing the cannon, who had directed the 'zap' that had shot me.

Needless to say I repaid the favor.

I reared up on my back paws and grabbed the control, I looked through a little eyepiece.

I turned it, to look around.

Walls and towers all around with idiot apes and warriors on or inside.

_Metal_ walls and towers.

One of the few things I know about metal?

Don't zap it when your touching it.

And, though I never thought about it don't zap it when other people are touching it.

Unless you want them to regret leaving their electricity cannon or whatever you call it lightly guarded.

I didn't want them to live long enough to regret it.

The one thing I've learned so far?

In war exploit every advantage possible.

In this little snow land there were three armies, the hundreds of apes and the warriors, and little ol' me.

And little ol' me was winning.

I gave every building I could reach a good hard 'Zap!'

I then continued, my wing had finally thawed so I was back in the skies.

Turns out most of the enemies had been in the buildings I had zapped.

But something had survived my 'Zaps.'

Strange ghostlike, skeletal floating warriors.

I think they were what remained of the one's I had zapped.

And for some strange reason they weren't pleased with me.

I wonder why?

They weren't hard at all though, so they weren't a problem.

All the apes were dead, they weren't weird ghost-things beneath their non-existent armor.

Come to think of it I wish they wore armor.

They were so ugly I hated looking at them.

And they just might weir metal armor.

I continued on, enjoying the significant decrease in enemies, I sighed when I finally passed the farthest away I electrocuted.

I saw a fuse coming out of the door.

Needless to say I lit it.

But there was method to my madness.

I positioned myself a hundred or so feet above the building that had been foolish enough to leave a fuse sticking out there front door when one fire breathing menace or another might happen upon it.

That fire breathing menace being me of course.


	11. THE DAWN WILL COME

The Dawn Will Come

Ever heard of a thermal?

It's what you get when heat rises beneath you, creating a updraft.

And as a updraft lifts itself it can lift you with it.

What can create a thermal?

It could be anything.

Heat rising from rocks, heat from boiling water.

Heat from a giant explosion?

Most defiantly.

The bomb blew, and with it came a updraft as I knew it would.

It carried me up so high I could look around easily.

I aimed towards the largest building; I thought it was the most likely place to hold Volteer.

As I flew I had nothing to think about what had happened so far today. I realized that I was killing and not giving it a secant thought, not even a fair chance.

Yet they would do the same to us if they got the chance.

But that didn't make it right.

I stopped and landed on the branch of a huge pine tree to think.

Sparx flew up next to me. "Cynder, what's wrong?"

I found a huge hollow next to the branch I had perched on, these trees were ridiculously big.

"I'm just tired Sparx" I said, giving him a wavering half-truth.

It had been a long day.

And that was the understatement of the century.

I curled up wordlessly, Sparx leaning against my leg.

And slept.

I dreamed I was in the temple. Ignitus was there, staring into the pool.

I walked past him, confused.

Standing there in the next room was the black spirit dragoness from before.

'_You again'_I said quietly.

She nodded _'you called me.'_

I looked at her _'I did?'_

She nodded once again _'you are worried, and you lack resolve with that worry.'_

I remembered what Ignitus had said "In times of crisis they will come to you and teach you."

I looked at her '_do I really have the right to kill like this? It's not fair...'_

She sighed '_if life was fair someone so young would never have been roped into this._'

I nodded in agreement, the dragoness stared into thin air, and then looked at me '_what do you fight for?'_

I looked at her _'huh?"_

'_In fighting someone or another gets hurt,' _I stared at her _'then why do you do it?'_

I thought, it felt like eternity to me _'I fight because I must, the dark master is hurting innocents.'_

'_But'_she said _'in war still more people, including innocents get hurt, how can you justify that?_

I thought for what felt like another eternity _'because without us it will never stop?'_

She looked at me '_it needs to be a statement, not a question."_

'_Without fighting now peace will never come, this war will go on and on and so will the killing' _I said, any last remnants of uncertainly that remained washing away.

The great black dragoness nodded _'If we truly want peace to come, we must fight for it, and hopefully eventually we will be strong enough to return our race to what it once was. A whole __species dedicated to keeping the land and it's people safe.'_

'_But what if the fighting never stops?'_

The dragon shook her head _'all we can do is try, and honestly? I think that we are strong enough to accomplish anything,' _she turned her head to look at me '_however long the night is, we have to believe the dawn will come.'_

The sun was beginning to rise '_now it is time to awaken little one, and to fight, but continue holding onto hope, When all seams lost listen to your heart because it will never fail you.'_


	12. WAS THAT NECESSARY?

**Was That Necessary?**

It didn't take long the next day to reach the huge building.

We entered the huge building through a small cave.

"Hey Cyn-" Sparx started to say but was interrupted by his own echo.

"Hey cyyyn, hey cyyyyyyyyy-"

"Oh check this out" Sparx said happily.

"Echo!"

"Echoo, echoo..."

He continued yelling like a idiot the whole way through the long twisting tunnel.

"Who's the man? Sparx is!"

"Whooos thheee maaaaaaannn? Sppppaaaaaaaaarrrxxxxxx iiiiiisssssss! Whooos thheee maaaaaaannn? Sppppaaaaaaaaarrrxxxxxx iiiiiisssssss!"

Not a minuet later "Sparx kicks a- ouch!" Then in a quieter voice "Cynder was that necessary?"

"Spaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrxxxxxxx kkkkiiiicccccckkkkkksss aaa-, Sppppaaaaaaaaaarrrrrxxxxxxxxx kkkiiiiiiccckkkks aaa-"

"Yup."

Sparx groaned, rubbing his now sore arm, then flew higher and yelled "Cynder is a chubby idiot!"

Seams he forgot I could fly.

"Cynnnnnnnnddddddeeeeeeeerrrr issssssss aa chuuubyyyyyyy idiiiiiiiioooooooooooootttt!, Cyyyynnndeeerrrrrrr iiiiiiiisssssss aaaaaaaa chuuuuuuubbbbbbyyyyy iiiiiiidddddiiiooott!"

My brother's not the best with insults.

I flapped and jumped, pinning him against the cold wall, covering his mouth.

"Idiot" I told him quietly "do you want the tunnel to collapse?"

His eyes widened and he shook his head franticaly.

"Good."

We finally came to the end, and Sparx just couldn't resist.

"Hello!"

"Heeeeeeeeellllllooooooooo!"

"Heeeeeeeeellllooooooo!"

"Hello." said a big ape.

Oh joy, more apes.

"Great job Sparx" I said sarcastically.

I simply shot fire down until five of the apes were dead, then when I ran out of power I jumped down, gathering the stones they had dropped to reguvinate myself. The others died quickly as well.

I continued on to a huge icy room, I might be wrong but I hypothesized that we were in the very middle of the huge metal tower.

Huge icicles hung down precariously from the ceiling, and I don't mean a couple feet huge. I mean long as Ignitus is tall huge.

Sparx suddenly saw something, pointing he said "there that's him we did it, let's get outa here!"

I saw a dragon, yellow with electric blue horns and wingbones.

He made to go towards him, but I stopped him with my tail.

"Careful" I said "it's to quiet here, watch your steps. It won't be that easy."

I reared up on my back legs, looking around warily, something about this place screamed danger, and I didn't like it.

Sparx looked at me "what part was easy?"

Having seen nothing I returned to all fours and snorted a plume of smoke at him "most of it."

Which was admittedly a lie.

He looked at me like I was crazy "seriously Which part was ea... Whoa, look at this thing."

It was like one of the armored warriors, except much more sinister, and huge, at least twice as tall as Ignitus huge.

It seemed to be dead or simply discarded, that is until it started to move. It raised one hand to try and swat Sparx.

Not that I could blame it.

Sparx screamed and hid behind me, I turned and raised a eyeridge.

"Fine! You were right" he yelped "now go kill it!" I grinned and turned back to the thing.

Only then did I really take in how big it was.

It was four times Ignitus' height and three times his width.

Oh snap.

It leaned down and jumped from where it had leaned against the wall, it was so heavy the whole room shook as it landed. One icicle fell with and crashed into the floor.

It walked forward, each step causing a large 'boom.'

He covered himself with a glowing magic shield.

I just stared shocked for a few moments, I had never seen a creature this big, well that whale was bigger.

So correction, I had never seen something _hostile_ this big.

It pounded it's chest, and suddenly icicles were shooting from the glow-y ice shield, one hit me square in the chest.

Which hurt.

_A lot._

Not only had this thing tried to kill Sparx, it had come close to running me though.

My eyes narrowed and I snarled.

Never mind how big it was.

_Nothing. NOTHING_ hurts Sparx.


	13. DIE ALREADY

Die already!

Now I was ready to fight.

I shot a fireball only for it to be deflected by the shield; it skidded of course and into the base of one of the huge icicles on the roof.

The icicle fell with a resounding crash, barely missing Sparx.

He flew away to hide unsurprisingly, for which I was grateful.

I didn't want to have to make sure he was safe _and_ kill the… whatever the heck it was.

Though it did help killing the huge monster was still a heck of a big job.

And I couldn't get through the things stupid shield.

And my breath power was already gone.

Finally the shield vanished but by the time it did I was asleep on my feet.

So I did the only thing I could.

I furied.

I rose releasing every last once of pent of firepower in my body.

It was powerful enough.

I had thought it was.

It fell to its knees only to stand again and bare its ax above its head.

You have got to be kidding me.

And then it started all over again.

He at least dropped some green gems, to my relief revitalizing my health bar. Thank the ancestors.

I made sure to only absorb as many as I needed to get my full breath power back, and left the rest.

I had a funny feeling I just might need them later.

He kept shooting icicles at me, rushing towards me on the ground like spike balls gone berserk.

I finally got the idea to jump into the air, circling the demonic thing, throwing occasional fireballs.

With surprising agility considering his size he jumped and grabbed the end of my tail.

He pulled, it hurt like heck.

But the idiot lost a couple figures in the process.

Tail _blades _are sharp; I would think that would be obvious even to this thing.

He didn't even notice the fingers ware gone.

Humph, what a idiot.

Though maybe he had some _really really really_ warped form of frostbite.

After all sleeping in the snow had to take a toll.

He finally seemed to realize he lost three fingers.

Well he was staring at his hand I aimed a great torrent of fire where his face would be, then used the rest of the green gems.

He fell once again, this time struggling back up using a huge icicle like a cane.

One would think that it would be easier to fight a crippled enemy.

And one would be wrong.

Now he was blowing a huge strange white mist all around.

I was caught in it once.

Let's leave it at saying I wasn't eager to repeat the experience.

The mist gathered on the ground, so I had no choice but to fly.

And if he wasn't blowing mist he was shooting five-foot icicles at me, and if he wasn't blowing frostbite mist or throwing five-foot icicles at me he was shielded.

Just then I got a _stupid, crazy reckless_ idea.

And if _I_ think it's insane anyone else would have fainted from shock at their own stupidity.

Yeah, that bad.

But hay! What's life without a few near-death experiences?

"_Peaceful"_ a small insistent voice said in my head.

"Shut up" I mouthed silently to it.

Talking to yourself, never a good sign.

Ah well, I was already obviously insane, so it couldn't hurt.

My fury power had finally returned.

And I was going to make sure that this time the thing got blown into smithereens.

This was seriously the most insane thing I had ever done.

Which is saying a lot.

A LOT_. A LOT_.

If I succeeded in this crazy insane foolish plan the thing better die.

And if it didn't I certainly would.


	14. DIDN'T  SEE THAT ONE COMING

The thing through its shield up once again.

I really hope I was imagining this but I think it was starting to recover from it's limp.

I guess it wouldn't make a difference to the plan.

Volteer appeared to have woken, speechless at seeing a young dragon battling his jailer.

Unfortunately the speechlessness lasted only about half a second.

"Utilize each instant the hoarfrost safeguard is alleviated adolescent dragoness" the dragon advised in a quick yell.

Yes, he said that in about two secants!

Not joking.

How is that even possible?

What the heck.

He continued to babble indecipherable nonsense.

I wish the moronic motor mouth would shut up.

I was trying to concentrate on leading the ice thing to right beneath the largest icicle.

Or rather the second largest.

He was using the largest as a cane.

So the second largest would have to do.

This plan is insane.

_Seriously_ insane.

The ice-thing was finally under the icicle, and his shield was up.

Now or never.

I slammed the icicle, it swung slightly.

I slammed it again and it finally started to fall.

I followed it, actually grabbing the wide top with my forepaws.

I had seen before with the fingers that this thing was a empty suit of armor.

Hopefully I had been right.

"What are you attempting to accomplish" Volteer yelled" your being a reckless idiotic rash foolhardy hotheaded imbecile!"

Couldn't have said it better myself.

The icicle hit the shield, poking through with enough force to make the thins head into a iron shish-kabob.

I pushed the icicle aside, taking the head with it, leaving a small opening at the top of the whatever you call neck armor.

Neck plate? Neck guard?

I folded my obsidian and pink wings against my black sides, becoming at strait as possible, my front paws clasped, elbows strait, hind legs stretched reaching back on either side of my tail.

I straitened my neck until my chin was touching the top of my forepaws.

If I messed this up I _would_ die.

The voice of reason yelled at me "_turn around_!"

I ignored it, sense when have I been reasonable in any shape or form?

I yelled a wordless determined battle cry.

I was almost to the hole, I was through the hole! The tips of my wings had scraped the sides but that was all.

And inside it was wide enough that I could triumphantly flare my wings.

I hovered; looking up until the light from the hole vanished.

The ice thing had but on its head back on, I could even see the tip of ice sticking into it, apparently it hadn't even taken the icicle out.

And _then_ I furyied.

Flames spurted from me, and the darkness I had been within shattered into dazzling white, I squeezes my eyes shut for a moment, and then squinted to see globs of molten iron flying everywhere!

When it touched the ice it would melt a good foot into it before cooling and hardening once again.

A small globule of the stuff had hardened right on Volteer's left horn.

I was standing in melted water, about a foot of it.

All that was left of the ice that had been around the thing of about a five-foot radius.

The only part that was left was the helm, looking sad and woebegone halfway in the puddle I had created.

Half of one of its horns had broken off and the other was half melted in a odd fashion, forming a large dried iron drip.

To my shock the helmet moved.

I looked at Volteer "it's dead?"

He nodded "only the life source lingers."

"Life source?"

He nodded "some poor unfortunate ill-fated creature that the general got a hold of and merged its soul with the metal."

"So" I said looking at the small hardened droplets of metal "it wasn't really alive?"

Volteer shook his head.

I looked at the large twitching helm, and gingerly flipped the lid over with my tail blade.

Volteer was starting to say something, my breath caught in my throat when I saw what was underneath.

Volteer stopped his sentence in its tracks, something I didn't get the impression happened too often.

About a quarter my size, staring at me with milky pure white eyes that couldn't see a thing was a unsteady, quivering about six-year-old pure white dragoness hatchling.

I stared, Volteer stared, and the little dragon stared with sightless eyes.

Sparx had finally come out of hiding "whoa" he said, staring at the dragon "didn't see that one coming!"


	15. MYST

He wasn't kidding.

The little dragon jumped when Sparx talked, and turned eyes to him, as if she could see, but her milky white eyes were directed a few feet above his head.

I squinted, trying to see her clearly in the dim light, only to gasp in shock.

She was covered in scars, bite marks and claw marks both, the skin around them with a angry pink tinge as if she had acquired them only a few weeks ago. The tip of one of her two ivory horns was broken and her arrow-shaped tailblade had a claw tip-sized nick in it. She held one white foreleg up, and the skin around it was puffed up and a angry pink. Many of her small backblades were chipped as well.

"Who are you?" Her voice quavered "Where am I?" She started crying quietly "No more, please no more."

I stared at her at a loss for what to do, I looked to Volteer for help but he was still looking to shocked to take action.

I walked towards the little dragon, who spun to face me, crouched and hissing. Or at least she tried to face me, she was pointing a foot or two to my right.

"I've had enough!" She sobbed, trying to sound strong. "Leave me alone!"

"I'm not here to hurt you," I said quietly, wondering silently if she remembered me attacking her just moments before. "I promise…"

The little dragon tried to pivot so she faced me this time, but was still pointed in the completely wrong directions.

"Promises are lies!"

I stared at the little hatchling "Why?"

She collapsed "H-he promised he wouldn't hurt them. He did!" she shook her head "Daddy said promises don't break, he always said they don't…"

"I do not comprehend this statemen-" Volteer started to say until I shot him my death glare, he shut his mouth.

I took another step towards the young dragon

"Promises can be broken, my dad always said to be sure not to make promises you can't keep, but not all promises are lies either. I'm sincere when I say I don't want to hurt you, and I'm being honest when I say I want to help you. Think about a promise before you make it, and think about a promise before you trust it," I was trying to calm the little dragon down, and I prayed she would listen. "For what it's worth I promise I won't hurt you."

"Okay," She whispered "Okay, I-I'll –"

I stretched one wing and draped it over her "Hush, we'll figure it out, ok?"

She nodded fearfully, pulling closer to my side.

Of course Volteer chose this moment to regain his tongue "I had believed that our race was eradicated, killed off, extinct, departed, deceased, but now I have not one but two dragons standing right before me!"

My death glare deluxe was utterly ignored. Usually it got Sparx in under three minutes.

"That such a small dragon was able to overcome, subdue and defeat such a powerful and taxing enemy is remarkable, incredible, hard to believer-"

"We have to get both of you to the temple," I interrupted."A friend of yours is waiting."

He stared. "Ignitus?"

"Yes Ignitus." Sparx said, staring at the dragon in disbelief.

"He's alive? Incredible! Fantastic! Extraordinary! Unb-" I groaned, and turned to the little dragon.

"What's your name?" I asked her, trying to tune Volteer out. Great, now I had to deal with a pessimist AND a motor mouth. What a life.

"Myst." she said quietly, quivering against my side.

"Listen, Myst," I said. "It isn't safe here, we have to get you back to where we're staying, is that okay with you?"

"I guess so." She said uncertainly.

I looked at Volteer. "Could she ride on you?"

"I do not believe she could, my backblades leave little room remaining."

I studied his back, he was right, and dragon's feet aren't made for lifting either, so he couldn't carry her…

Which means I would have to.

"Let's go outside then," I said "Myst, you'll have to ride on me." She didn't look that heavy…

"Where are we going?" The little dragon asked.

"Were going to a temple where we'll be safe." I told her.

"Nowhere's safe..." She murmured "He'd follow us wherever we go!"

"Who would follow you?" I asked her quietly.

"_Him_, he'd never leave us alone, we just wanted to be together," She was crying again "He promised if I came with him he'd leave them alone, and then he didn't and I tried to help and then I can't remember!"

I looked at her scars with new understanding; she had tried to stop '_him_' from killing her parents.

I really hoped this 'him' was not the general.

Because if it was the general would have to die.

I looked at her

"Was it the General?"

She could not talk with her crying, but she produced a feeble nod.

The general _will_ die.


	16. LULLABY

Carrying Myst it was hard to get off the ground, but when I gained some altitude it was a little easier. I had her fold her wigs around my lower neck and lock her two curved spike wing blades together. She rested her forepaws on my shoulders, and I twisted my tail around hers.

It was awkward and uncomfortable, but it kept the little dragon from falling even when she nodded off against my back.

Her head was on top of one of my shoulders, and I heard he murmuring, I couldn't make it out.

"But I want to go outside" she suddenly murmured "it's been so long!" A moment later "what do you mean it's not safe! We always go outside!"

Is it a memory dream? Many of my dreams were fragments of memory strung randomly together.

Suddenly her dream seamed to change "you promised" she yelped. "Leave them alone! Stop laughing at me!"

She growled slightly, and her hurt foreleg jerked, as if to claw at an enemy that had been there so many years ago. Perhaps that's how it had been injured, trying to kill the evil dragon.

It whacked my neck, and though it didn't hurt me, the little dragon let out a pained yelp. She woke up, crying again.

"Shh" I whispered, absentmindedly rocking myself and her back and forth "shh."

It went unnoticed past the little dragon's wracking sobs.

Unsure of what to do I began to sing, a song my mom sung to me when I was young, thinking of her I absentmindedly touched the silken white bag she had given me.

"The wind sings to you

pooling under your wings

so take flight my dear

chase the wind as is sings

the blue is above

so release your spirit to fly

In your peaceful dream's

I know you'll touch the sky

be free as the wind is

the wind rises around

nothing can contain it's

twisting up and twisting down

the blue is above

so release your spirit to fly

In your peaceful dream's

I know you'll touch the sky

in your deepest sleep

rise above the cloud

sing with the wind

for it will sing aloud

the blue is above

so release your spirit to fly

In your peaceful dream's

I know you'll touch the sky

rest your head little one,

stray into a land of dream

fly above the clouds so high

glide upon wind's winding stream

azure sky's ahead

and your spirit can fly

so rest your head

and you will touch the sky"

I smiled and glanced back, the little dragons head had drooped and rested once more on my shoulder.

I sniggered quietly when I saw that Sparx was on her back, sleeping just as soundly.

God, I missed hearing mom sing that song.


	17. KID'S JUST BEING KIDS

By the time we got to the temple my wings felt like they were on fire, they ached as I landed with relief on the balcony, but I didn't want to wake Myst, so I let her remain on my back, gratefully unwinding my tail and stretching it.

"Cynder" A relieved voice said, Ignitus stepped onto the balcony, to stare at Volteer.

"Ignitus old fellow" Volteer said happily "It is wonderful, fantastic, extraordinary, miraculous to see you again!"

I gave Ignitus a pleading 'please make him shut up' look. Only then did he notice my passenger.

He tilted his head" Cynder, is that what it looks like?"

I nodded and sighed, I had no choice but to wake her up, "Myst" I whispered to her, "please wake up, I want you to meet someone."

She raised her sleepy head, and focused her sightless gaze in the general direction of Ignitus.

She slipped of my back, pressing fearfully into my side.

"I haven't smelled you before" she said quietly, tilting her head to one side, Sparx slipped off her back hitting the ground. "Ow" he complained. I slipped my tail blade under him, lifting him and placing him on my back.

"Good night momma" he muttered, falling asleep again.

I smiled weakly and made a mental note to give him a hard time about that later.

I yawned, probably giving Ignitus a excellent view of my pink mouth.

He chucked quietly "I can see there is a story to tell, but for now you should sleep young dragons. Well done Cynder, well done indeed."

I wasn't about to argue.

I stumbled into the statue room, a guiding wing over Myst's back. We collapsed together, I kept my wing over her and wrapped my tail around her. I just had enough energy to sing her the lullaby before I too closed my eyes.

I woke in the morning to Myst thrashing in her sleep, growling similar phrases to those I had heard her utter before.

"Hush" I murmured, and began to sing once again. My voice was nothing like mom's, probably never would be.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep again, and I guiltily got up.

Sparx was _still_ on my back, and I gave a evil grin as I trotted into the vision room, for once Ignitus was not there. I wasn't complaining.

I trotted along sides the vision pool and leaned over, dumping Sparx unceremoniously into the water.

"Wha-" he spluttered, wings having trouble surfacing. Until finally he flew up, taking careful note to splatter me with diamond-like droplets from his wings. "What the heck was that for?"

I grinned "you needed a bath" I wrinkled my nose "you _still _smell like frog-weed juice!"

"Hey" he complained, glaring "your one to talk black girl!"

My eyes narrowed dangerously "you're saying I need a bath?"

"Yes" he said flatly.

He should have known better.

"Okay then" I said in a honey coated voice, grinning as I saw his nervous flinch, before I jumped into the pool of visions, sending a great wave of water at Sparx with my wing.

He was pushed a good foot back, and his now soaking antenna lay flat against his head. Light gleamed off water droplets on his form, and his own glow made them sparkle like miniscule stars.

"Why you" he yelled playfully and lunged at me, I dodged and used my tail to splash him once again, he missed, and instead got another face full of water.

"Hey" he yelped, taking his hands and splashing me with small handfuls of water.

I grinned and spun in a circle, splattering water on Sparx, and everything else. The brown floor around the pool was slick and darkened with water, and the pool was now at least half empty.

I used one wingtip to scoop water up before flinging it at Sparx.

Of course Ignitus had to ruin our fun, he strode into the visions room, closely followed by Volteer, only to see a half empty pool, a sodden floor, and a dragon and a dragonfly playing where they probably shouldn't.

Volteer stared as if he could not comprehend what he was seeing, Ignitus looked as if he had been stuck in the snout.

I gave them a slightly sheepish grin "we, er, needed a bath?"


	18. FREEING THUNDER

Well Volteer didn't seem to know what to make of our antics, Ignitus was a remarkably good sport, helping me refill the pool with water and when Volteer asked (in words I barely knew) why he wasn't angry he just said "children will be children."

Volteer stared at him, and seemed to be about to frame another long-winded response, but before he could Ignitus cut him off.

He looked at me "Volteer has told me what he knows of what happened, but I imagine there is more young dragon."

Taking this as a invitation I retold what had happened, leaving out my visit here in my dreams. That was _my_ business.

When I told him about my electric breath he stared, eyes widened as his tail jerked in surprise.

As soon as I finished I looked at him and asked "how the heck can I know fire _and_ electricity?

He only shook his head, apparently bewildered "I hold no answers young dragon, I am as bemused as you are."

I sighed, my life was getting more and more insane by the second.

Ignitus looked at Volteer "so continue with what you were telling me before, the General was doing _what_ to you?"

Volteer shook his head "well it's hard to be absolutely sure Ignitus, but it seams he was using me as some sort of suspended organic power source."

"What" Sparx asked me, befuddled.

I sighed "he was using him to power something."

"Why didn't he just say so" Sparx quipped, I ignored him.

"Not only that" the yellow dragon continued "he also left with a glowing yellow orb, and I believe that I somehow powered it!"

Ignitus' eyes widened slightly, and his tail jerked. This defiantly struck some kind of bell for him.

Volteer noticed as well. "Dose this mean something to you Ignitus" he asked, sounding serious.

"Perhaps" Ignitus murmured "perhaps."

Why is it always the old guys who love being so mysterious? It's infuriating.

"What I do know is that we need to rescue the other guardians, before he powers any more of those orbs."

You know, it's nice to be asked instead of enlisted once in a while.

"I agree Ignitus" Volteer said "but first I should impart some useful information about Cynder's newly acquired ability, regardless of our uncertainties as to it's origins." He turned to me " vis-à-vis your recently acquired electricity based exhalation ability!"

"What!" Sparx said.

I sighed "he wants to teach me how to use the zappy breath."

Sparx stared at me "zappy breath?"

I nodded "Zappy breath."

"Oh, why didn't he just say so" Sparx complained.

I splashed right through the pool of visions and on into the creepy statue room.

Myst was still asleep, and I felt guilty at waking her, but I had to.

"I'm sorry" I told her "but we need to use this room" she nodded drowsily and I helped her the pool of visions room where Ignitus could watch her.

First I had to hit targets and chase down the dummies, the same as the first time.

Almost all of what I learned I knew from fire training, the only difference was that it was easier to aim. The florescent yellow bolts gravitated towards whoever I aimed them at.

Finally after a tedious time shocking dummy after dummy it was fury time.

I rose off the ground, the air around me cracking with pent up energy. I squeezed my eyes shut , and released it. My whole body seamed to tingle, as if possessed my a static force, small sparks arced from my horns and wings and tail. The power was building and building.

'_Send me home' _a voice said '_I'll get there.'_

The spirit of electricity wasn't like the spirit of fire. It wasn't focused on devouring that in it's path.

It was focused on getting to where it was going and didn't care what got in it's way.

Like the fire, it didn't care about me, in ways it viewed me as a tool as much as I viewed it as one.

The power filtered through me and a storm cloud formed above my head, crackling like it was angry. Warning signal circles expanded from the flow directly below me, and expanded before dissipating.

The storm cloud began to produce smaller bolts, flashing briefly before disappearing. The pressure kept on building, my teeth felt like they were vibrating in my scull.

'_Electricity is free' _the voice said _'it doesn't waist time on sentiment or battle, it simple goes strait through those who block it's way. If it want's to kill it will kill."_

My teeth felt like they were about to fly out, my eyes darted beneath there lids.

'_Electricity doesn't care how long it takes to get somewhere. The path doesn't matter, only the destination.'_

A huge beam of light came from the cloud, enveloping me.

_'Chanel it.'_

I tried to push it where I wanted, but it crackled angrily.

_'Make a path for it'_ the voice instructed, so instead of trying to shove it I instead I formed mental paths through the air, and a huge shock-wave exploded from me, going strait through the dummies, leaving them pulsing with yellow power.

The electricity dissipated into the ground and the dummies hit the ground with loud thuds.

I gratefully landed, slightly unsteadily on the ground.

That hadn't been a little 'zap.'

That had been a full blown thunderstorm.


	19. WHAT DO I LOOK LIKE?

I'm not very good at this, am I?

"Your training is complete" Volteer said, then, just to add a ominous tone "for now."

The statue rose again, and I trotted back to the pool of visions, rather tiredly.

Myst and I both turned in shortly after, the twin moons had already risen, casting a feeble light over everything.

I curled up with Myst, Sparx already asleep on my snout, his favorite place to knock of for the night.

I was tired, but not quite ready to nod off yet, and there was something I needed to know.

I looked at Myst, with her milky white eyes. I thought I saw a slightly darker aria within, where a iris and pupil should be.

"Myst" I said awkwardly "I just wanted to say, if you want to talk about what happened, I'm here, and I'll listen."I fell into silence, twitching my tail in slight agitation. "Sometimes talking about something can help more than anything. And" I looked at my forepaws, careful not not to tip Sparx off my nose "Well, I'll listen."

God, I sounded stupid. I wasn't exactly the therapeutic type. At _all_.

Myst was shivering in the slight chill, so I rested a (hopefully) comforting wing on her back, I glanced up at Sparx, making sure he was asleep before whispering "I've had a very strange week, would you like to hear about it?"

She nodded before burying her nose in her paws.

"Well I live, or lived I guess, with my adopted parents, who are dragonflies like Sparx."

I continued on telling her everything from my strange childhood to torching the ape to when I saved her with my crazy plan. I didn't leave anything out, I even told her about my 'guild', for lack of something better to call her.

Myst was a good listener, she didn't interrupt once, and she even laughed when I told her about the apes sleeping around the dynamite.

"Daddy did always say the apes were missing '_a good gallon of common sense'_" she said quietly when I was finished.

I stared at my paws, I had told her everything, _Everything_, and how I felt about it. My blind ruthlessness when I had used the 'zap' cannon and the guilt I had felt shortly after. The visits from the black spirit, and the powerlessness I felt to control my elements when releasing a fury.

She looked at me or in my general direction, and I could tell she was pondering everything I had said.

"What I'm the most afraid of" I said quietly "I've already killed so many, I don't want to keep killing until I'm so used to it it doesn't feel wrong anymore."

She looked at me with eyes that seamed to hold wisdom beyond her years "Dad said that the reason we lived away from other dragons and the was to avoid the war, and not because he was afraid of dieing either. He told me he was afraid of what you told me just now, loosing himself in the endless battles. He told me that if the time came he would gladly fight" she looked down, tears starting to form "and die if that was how it had to be, But he said he would fight only if there was a clear reason."

She faced me, eyes squeezed shut in pain "he fought, and he died trying to protect me, momma did to. Was there a reason? They didn't even do anything, so why did they die?" The little dragon choked back a sob "They died and I lost everything! Momma said that I was more important to her than her life, she said if anything came buy I needed to run to the guardians and never look back." She paused for a moment, calming down somewhat and hurriedly changing the subject "Cynder?"

"Yes?"

"What do you look like?"

I stared at her speechlessly for a moment, it was strange to have her asking when she was facing me, I glanced at myself. I had never really compared myself to other dragons, when I was with the dragonflies I focused on what made me different then them, now I looked at myself and thought about how I differed from others like me.

I described myself the best I could. My green eyes and black and pink skin, why white horns and the silver mark on my brow, my wings folded against my sides and my scythe shaped tail-blade.

When I was finished her eyes sparkled with tears "you sound beautiful Cynder, I wish I could see you."

I shrugged, of course she couldn't see it "I'm all right I guess, your not missing all that much."

She laughed quietly "I doubt that."

Urk, I had been trying to help her and we ended up talking about my self esteem. I'm not really good at this am I? That's what I get for trying to play therapist.

She sighed "what do I look like now?"

I looked at her, a lump formed in my throat, she was covered in scars surrounded by angry pink skin, she had several chipped back-blades and a claw shaped chip on her tail-blade. The tip of one horn was broken off, and one forepaw was reddened and swollen.

She looked at me, or tried to, she had a uncanny to estimate well enough that she was looking in the right place "please Cynder, I need to know."

"Err... Well you look to be about six," I said, starting with the least painful fact I could find.

"I always was small" she agreed quietly.

I looked at her "how old are you?

"almost eight, or I was before..." she trailed off.

"Whats your birthday?"

"The second to last day of winter."

I looked at her mentally checking the date, that had been the day I saved her. Sort of ironic. I wonder how many years ago she was, I don't even know what to call it.

"What year was your last?"

" The first year of the 30'th generation."

Exactly a generation ago, ten years.

Wow.

"Ten years" I told her.

Her eyes widened "Ten?"

"So your technically four years older than me" I said, trying to bring some light to the situation and failing dismally.

"Yeah, sure" she said, her sightless eyes staring at something far away "ten years..."

Shaking her head she turned to me "so your what, twelve?"

She didn't seam like she was be eight, she had already endured more than any one person should be force to in a lifetime. And it changed her, in many ways she seamed ancient.

"So" she said quietly "what do I look like?"

I sighed guiltily, and told her.

She didn't cry, she didn't even seam surprised.

She layed her head on her paws "You told me your story, so I guess I'll tell you mine."


	20. TELL ME A STORY

The scar-riddled eight year old sighed heavily and began her story.

"My parents originally went away because they wanted to keep me. They wanted to raise their own child. The stupid customs said that that was allowed, as long as the parents didn't stay in the cities or temples well their kids lived with them.

So we lived on the largest island of the Giant's Footpath. My parents were happy there, we lived with other dragons who had chosen exile as apposed to giving up their kids. When the children were grown they were allowed to return, with their kids, but still many years passed between. That's what dad said when I asked."

That tradition was really irking me by now.

"I heard mom say to dad that we heard gossip of the fighting, but that it didn't concern us. Where we were was peaceful, and we never saw any violence. She told him that's what matters while raising a child."

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"But then he came, the old Electricity guardian, Lyghtnin. He said if the families joined in the war we could come back when it was done, many of the village went with him, eager to return, but my mom and dad refused, and we watched as our friends left. They never came back. We learned later that they didn't even make it back to the temple, they were killed on the way."

"Oh god..." I murmured darkly.

She nodded a little, she seemed less freaked than she had been so far, before now she had just slept and when she wasn't asleep she had seemed to be in a daze. To me it seemed that she had healed a little even in the short time she'd been here. I can't imagine what she must be feeling now.

"It wasn't long after that that daddy started saying we had to stay hidden all the time, I never got to run around anymore. And daddy was always at the door, looking out. He barely slept at all. I asked mommy why but she wouldn't tell me, she said everything was going to be okay if I didn't go outside."

She hung her head. "I didn't listen. I was so bored, mom and daddy had gone out to try and find out what was happening in the mainland, they told me to stay inside."

Her eyes closed again, trying to block out painful memories.

I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what would come next, but I waited in silence for her to confirm it.

"I was looking for Dad to return when I saw a shadow of a dragon flying over the island, I thought it was him so I ran outside, but I couldn't see him him anywhere, so I went back in our cave."

And it was probably the General.

Mommy and Dad came back not long after, with the news that the temple was empty and they didn't know what had happened."

She paused for a moment, shaking. "I think the shadow I saw was him, I think that's how he knew where we were. It's my fault, all my fault! I didn't listen and then..."

"It's not your fault," I said "Not at all."

Myst ignored this. "Then Momma was out looking for food, and Dad was off the island trying to figure out what had happened to the temple. But mamma didn't come back alone, she was carried by a huge black dragon."

She was trembling again. "He threw Mamma down, and I saw both her wings were weird, not bending like there s'posed to!"

"He was huge!" She said. "He was as big as Mamma and Dad put together! He landed right on her wing and I heard it snap."

The little dragon was shaking like a leaf in a hailstorm by now. "He asked her where I was, he said he 'required my assistance.' He said he had seen me in this clearing before, and she better tell him where I was before he got really angry."

No wonder she didn't want to talk about it, I was amazed she could talk about it now.

"Mamma looked at where our cave was hided, I couldn't hear her but I could tell what she said, she told me to stay inside and not to look, bu-but I couldn't, she was hurt really badly.

The general heard her though, he thought I was somewhere close."

"'Little dragon' he said, 'I'm bringing your mother to the top of this cliff', our hiding place was a cave in a cliff, it was hidden by vines that hung down along the whole top, so it all looked like it was hard."

I wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that, it had to be some pretty thick ivy to look like it was on a solid surface.

"Before he stopped talking dad got back and attacked him, but the general was to fast, dad didn't even touch him once."

I closed my eyes, trying not to imagine. What had I gotten myself into leaving home?

Daddy got hurt too, the general bit one of his wings. It looked like he was about to kill them!"

"Little dragon' he said 'my patience wears thin. Come out little dragon, and I promise I'll let them live."

Momma always told me that we don't break promises, so I went out."

She had started to really cry now, her whole body shaking with sobs.

"But h-he laughed at me, he told me that I was a fool, and then he was going to..."

She paused, shuddering "I-I attacked him, I bit the end of a toe."

The little dragon looked disgusted. "He started shaking it but I held on, I- I didn't want him to hurt them, but he wouldn't stop shaking it, and I accidentally bit to hard..."

The little dragon looked disgusted with herself. "I w-went flying and hit a tree but I ran at him again, I tried to scratch him. I told him to stop laughing at me." She squeezed her eyes shut even harder.

"He got mad at me, and attacked me, scratching biting..."

I drew her closer to me, wrapping my wings and tail around her.

"When he was done with me he went after my parents, I couldn't move, they couldn't even talk they were so hurt, and then he-" She trailed off. "And that was the last thing I ever saw, I don't know why but I couldn't..."

"He carried me somewhere, I yelled at him, asking where we were going but he didn't answer, it was so cold, he forced me to walk somewhere, I don't how far from home we were. And then he had me stop, and I felt really weird, and then I felt nothing but cold, so cold. It felt like forever. And then then I felt like I was burning, and then the next thing I knew I was under something and then you were there."

I stared at her, hugging her closer to me, wishing there was something I could do.

She looked at me with wet cheeks and bright eyes. "Why? What did we do to deserve this? We just wanted to be together, nothing more. Why?"

I couldn't find an answer.


	21. HEARTBROKEN

War Is Hell

We stayed like that for what felt like forever, my heart ached for this little dragon who had been through so much.

I felt like she was a part of me, her head was resting on my chest, right over my heart.

The little dragon seemed so lost and confused, I didn't even want to imagine what she must be feeling like right now, in what must feel like a week or so she had lost her parents, her village, her sight and now looked like she had lost a boxing match with a avalanche, miraculously survived only to get under the claws of a dragon stampede.

And _that_ was an understatement.

I wanted to comfort the little 8-year-old, but what could I say?

'Hey kid, you just lost your home, your family, your friends _and_ your sight, but don't be sad, there's a bright side!'

Yeah, that'd help.

What the heck am I supposed to do?

For then I just held her, hugging her close with my wings as she cried.

I looked at her helplessly, wanting to do _something_.

I felt so useless saying and doing absolutely nothing to help her, except for being there.

And knowing Ignitus it wouldn't be long until I had to go run more '_errands._'

It was nearly midnight; we had been like this for how long? Just sitting there, me trying to comfort her to no avail.

I wish I could see her smile, I haven't seen a single one, I wondered vaguely if this was how Mom and Dad had felt when I left, helpless to do what they wanted to do more than anything else, help me.

I wish my mom were here now, she would know what to do, she _always _did.

What would she do if she was here?

I remembered something, reached into my bad and drew out my necklace, the one I'd had sense I was so little, the purple amber drop with the unfortunate golden-yellow butterfly frozen forever within.

I raised her unhurt forepaw, and gently placed it into it "I want you to have this."

"What is it" she asked, her sobbing quieting a little, she moved her head to her forepaw and sniffed it curiously, only to sneeze, her head going back and then forward in a quick jerk.

I had a hard time not laughing right then, the little dragon was just to dang adorable, but it passed quickly and I sobered again. This little eight-year-old had been through more than anyone I had ever met.

"It's a necklace, here" I took it and slipped it over her head, is fell down to the base of her neck, hanging a little low, but there was nothing I could do about that. It wouldn't accidently fall off because of her horns, and it would be very hard to destroy. Nothing can destroy spider silk, dad told me it's one of the strongest things in this world, the problem is getting enough of the stuff. The dried mushroom amber wasn't quite as indestructible, but it was strong enough to withstand a whole heck of a lot.

She raised one scarred forepaw and touched the amber bead, exploring its smooth surface with one white talon.

"Thank you" she said in a small voice, she had finally ceased crying to my amazement. If it were me I don't think I'd ever stop crying. This little dragon was stronger than me that way, she was doing her best to put on her brave face, even after all she had been through.

We fell asleep like that, me doing the best I could to comfort her, or was it her trying to comfort me?

I wasn't even sure anymore.

I fell asleep singing the lullaby again, not even half finishing it before nodding off.

I blinked, seeing two young dragoness' in front of me, sleeping side by side, the white ones cheeks still glistening with tears.

Was that us?

It looked like us, black and pink and white, but did I really look that exhausted? That skittish?

At every small noise my body jerked slightly or winced, I saw my own eyes twitch under my own lids.

This was distinctly unnerving for me, I was standing there, watching myself sleep.

"Quite strange isn't it" a voice cut into my thoughts, and I turned.

"You again" I said stiffly, trying to express my displeasure at having my sleep interrupted.

She chuckled, and shook her obsidian head "you sound so like your father did when he was young."

I stared, cocking my head "I thought no one knew their fathers?"

She laughed again "new parents, so stubborn," she shook her head again "many more managed to discover their children's identities one way or another, he was one of the few who could bare to look on from afar, make sure you were okay without approaching you."

"That custom needs a painful death" I declared hotly.

The dragoness' let out a full-throated laugh "you want get argument from me little one."

"Answer something for me" I said, narrowing my eyes "are you or are you not dead?"

"Your fathers pride and your mother's sharp tongue" she assessed, smiling, "as well as her lack of sense to the right place and time."

I growled "well who are- who _were_ they?"

The dragons eyes sparkled with mischief "When you can tell me your mother's name, then I have a gift for you."

I gave her one of my best death glares and a snarl "my mother's name is Nina, _NINA!_ She was the one who raised me and the one who cared for me. That is how _I_ define mother."

I saw something flash in the spirits eyes, she looked heartbroken I thought, but she blinked and it was gone.

"I suppose that is your decision to make" the dragon, her face a mask said.

She looked at me "what do you want?"

"Huh?" she had sprung this one from absolutely nowhere.

"Do you want to go home" she asked, searching emerald eyes met my own equally emerald eyes "do you want to fight?"

I stared at her, a lump formed in my throat "what kind of question is that?"

"One that needs answering" she said, eyes studying me with a inner wisdom that annoyed the heck out of me.

"Of course I don't! I've had enough fighting!" I wondered if I was answering right, what was she looking for? I had no way to tell.

"This war is hell!" I said, eyes challenging her to disagree or reprimand me for my use of language "all this fighting is hell! I don't want to do more, I try to make a game out of it, try to forget I'm killing_, killing_, Again and again!"

I looked at her, closer to tears then I ever had been "will it ever end?" I don't cry, I insisted to myself, forcing the gathering tears to remain hidden.

The dragon looked at me sadly "I hold no answers young one, all I can say is that you are wiser than most, little help that that is."

"_Very_ little help" I clarified.

"I know" she sighed "I know. It took me years for your parents to realize that, and by the time they did it was too late for them."

"Thanks" I said sarcastically "really clears that up, now please, either leave or tell me something that's actually useful."

The dragon sighed, and right before my eyes dissolved into shadow. The room faded until I was back, curled around Myst.


	22. NOTHING'S EVER EASY

Careful not to wake Myst, I unwrapped myself and after I left the room shook my snout, dropping Sparx to the ground. He had slept through everything. Heck, he'd been asleep sense _before_ we got back here.

He should be grateful to have his own personal alarm clock, otherwise knowing him he would sleep _forever_.

When he hit the ground he just groaned and turned over, covering his eyes with his hands to block out the bright sunshine that was raining in through the window.

Hmm… Apparently I wasn't giving this enough effort.

I leaned down, right next to his head, what to say? What to say…?

"Sparx" I whispered quietly, a grin fast appearing across my mouth.

"Five more minuets" he said drowsily, not even noticing he was on the ground.

This wasn't working, so I resorted too what I had planned from the start.

"The General's attacking" I yelled in his ear, making my voice as high-pitched as possible.

Unfortunately Sparx was well-used to my rude awakenings, and stubbornly covered his ears. I remembered slightly nostalgically when I could do that daily and fool him every time.

I eyed the door to the pool-of-visions room and regrettably noticed a red tail through the door that was cracked open.

Darn, their goes that option. I was surprised Ignitus hadn't heard my shout, but maybe he's in the mist of staring at the stupid pool once again.

I sighed "Sparx" I whispered "time for skhhhooooooooooooolllllllllll!"

My brother always hated all things academic, even when all they did was learn how to fly, crazy dragonfly!

He flew up with a jolt "No I'm sick!"

I smirked at him.

"HEY!" he complained.

He pouted, I smirked "put your lip out any father and a little birdie might just perch on it."

He rolled his eyes. "You're rather peppy for just waking up" he grumbled.

I grinned "Who says I just woke up sleepy head?"

Do I cheer up easily? Yes I do, life's no fun if you walk around with a frown, that's what Sparx used to tell me when I was sad, though I'm _still_ not sure if he was actually trying to help or not though.

Knowing _him_ probably not.

"Cynder, are you awake" Ignitus called "I have news of another guardian!"

"Oh joy" I muttered darkly to Sparx.

"Hey" he said, deliberately unhelpfully "who knows, maybe this one will function correctly!"

I laughed "I'm still wondering if the last one doesn't need his circuits checked."

He tried to glare, but the silly dragonfly can't hold a grudge to save his life.

He grinned and laughed with me, following me into the pool-of-visions chamber.

Ignitus raised one scaly eye-ridge "do I want to know what's funny?"

I stuck my tongue out at him for a minuet "probably not."

He chuckled "It's been so long sense I've had the company of youth, I still wonder where you get all that energy."

I grinned cheekily "you're so old you must of used it all up."

I wasn't sure what to expect, but was surprised when he let out a full throat-ed laugh "you remind me so much of a old" he paused for a minuet, returning to his usual solemn self "a acquaintance who I knew years ago."

"Who" I asked, when adults don't give you a strait answer, there's always something you would be better off knowing.

He sighed "in time young dragon, in time."

I snorted "I've had about as much of you're _'time'_ as I can handle."

"The indomitable impatience of youth" he sighed.

I snorted "soooooooooooo, do you have something for me to _do_, or did you call me in here to listen to the insufferable preaching of old people?"

He sighed "You truly do remind me of her."

"Remind you of _who_" I complained.

"In ti-."

"Please do not say 'in time' again, now why did you call me in here? Do you want me to go murder a few more monkeys" I asked bitterly.

He looked solemn once again, unsurprisingly.

"So," I said changing the subject "where to this time big guy?"

"Cynder, Cyril the ice guardian, was taken to tall plains, a vast jungle atop of various jutting cliffs."

"Err… Interesting, what else you got for us big guy" Sparx interjected rudely. Still not over his wake-up call I suppose.

"A tall plain was once home to a proud ancient tribe called the Atlawa."

"Aw bless you" Sparx interrupted.

I aimed a whack with my tailblade, which he managed to dodge "Shut up!"

"The Atlawa were a people in tune with the rhythm of the seasons, focused on their relationships with crops, there surroundings, there gods, and their hierarchy within themselves. They've all been driven underground by the General's forces, and now he has taken their shrine for his purposes."

I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"I have seen that this is where the General is keeping Cyril, intent on powering another orb, you must find him before he succeeds. You and Sparx must go there at once, and find him."

"Yesir" I said cheerfully.

"But if we see danger we should run, right?" Sparx asked.

Ignitus turned to look at him "there are times when all of us need to stand up to danger, young Sparx."

"Yeah" he retorted sarcastically "Maybe next month, next summer, heck, maybe even next year!"

"Just go" commanded the irritated guardian "_now_!"

I winked at him "YESSIR!" And saluted him with one of my forepaws "On my way sir!" I turned and flew off before I earned myself a lecture, grabbing a simple map that rested on twin brackets before leaving.

"Are we there yet" Sparx complained, for the fifteenth time in the last minute.

"Nope" I said, debating with myself what would happen if I shocked him.

I pulled out the map and glanced at it, not that I could see anything, I was in the middle of a dense fog-bank, which was also making flight difficult as my wings started to accumulate water, Sparx was already on my back, if I could barely fly in it there was no way he could.

I put the map back in my bag, and squinted ahead, "Sparx?"

"Yes Cyn?"

"Do you see anything" I asked, I had thought for a moment I saw a brown in front of me, a huge amount of it, like a wall in front of us, but then it was gone.

"No I do not., are we theeeerrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeee yet?

"NO!"

There it was again! A huge wall of brown, only vaguely visible, but it was only a few feet ahead of us!

"AAH" I yelled, spreading my wings full out and rearing, back in mid air, putting my back legs forward.

"AAAAH" Sparx agreed once he realized where we were.

My back legs hit the packed earth, hard. I groaned and kicked back, flipping before leveling out again.

I turned my head to look at Sparx, who was clutching at the base of my neck, "you okay?"

"Somehow" he said weekly, looking like he was going to be sick.

"Throw up on me and die" I warned him.

He took me advice, leaning over before he blew, he always had a weak stomach, yet he still stuffed anything that vaguely looked food-like into his mouth.

When he was done, and once again had a stable hold on my neck, I began to power-flap up, Ignitus had said they were on the top of huge cliffs, maybe…

"Look up" I said joyously to Sparx, as I finally began to see blue above us, before I burst out of the fogbank, shaking the last remaining drops of water off my wings.

I landed, relieved on the top of a huge cliff, grass reached up to my chest. Ahead of us was huge towering trees on yet another cliff. They almost looked like they were floating on a sea of fog.

"It's never easy, is it" an exhausted Sparx asked.

"Nope" I agreed tiredly, "it never seems to be does it, but then nothing worthwhile ever is."

"When did you turn into a philosopher" he asked irritably, refusing to get off my back.

I sighed, and flapped my aching wings, flying to the bigger cliff, a stone doorway was right ahead, and peering out of it was a ape with multi-colored fur. The yelled in surprise and turned, running through the door.

"I think you might want to get off my back Sparx, it looks like I'll be fighting soon enough" I said bitterly.


	23. CHILL PILL

"Can we save the fighting for some other time" Sparx groaned "you nearly gave me a heart attack just now!"

"Fine" I retorted "next time _you_ fly and _I'll_ hang on."

Sparx successfully silenced, I looked around "I don't see any spirit gems, that's not good."

"Wait, see that pot over there, look closely" he replied, pointing at a ancient pot. I looked closer, indeed there was light from the opening, I slapped it apprehensively with my tailblade, and it shattered, spilling gems.

"That's one good thing" I sighed.

"You'd be lost without me" Sparx declared, giving me a tired grin.

I didn't argue.

I went through the tunnel; I didn't like my chances of flying and being able to see anything that was under those huge trees. It ended in a long but thin valley.

I was met by apes, _surprisingly._

After I finished with them, I continued along down the valley, I was not particularly happy about this, enemies could box me in here, but I didn't want to power-flap all the way to the top of it with already sore wings, judging by how many weird island-type things there were I'd be flying soon enough anyway.

I continued on, and through a huge hollow loge before I was once again stopped by apes.

"Screw this" I muttered before forcing my reluctant wings to flap and landed on the edge of the valley, a idiot ape on a ledge through dynamite at me, which I pushed right back over the edge.

I continued on the rim, and yelped as a spike embedded itself an inch from my left forepaw.

I snapped my head around, another freaking cannon, I really, _really_ hated those things.

I jumped on top of it and through the ape far away, before jumping into the seat.

Maybe they weren't so bad after all, unfortunate there wasn't anything to shoot at, besides that I had difficulty balancing on such a small seat, it defiantly wasn't meant for dragons.

I saw another clearing with a ton of gem holding pots, guarded by yet another huge ape on a ledge.

The apes gaze was looking down, and I easily got to the ledge above him before jumping down silently and pushing him down on top of the pottery, and several smaller apes.

It's called multitasking!

So when I went down I only had a couple apes to deal with, and then I absorbed enough spirit gems that my wings and my haunches were fully healed.

I grinned and took to the sky, easily power-flapping my way higher than even the stupid spike-cannons could reach me.

A while later, the land below me finally was devoid of tree's, and I could see quite clearly a strange furred, to legged animal in a cage, guarded by several huge apes. A huge dreadwing grabbed another cage with a similar creature in it and carried it away, leaving a single strange two-legged goat boy in a cage.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" I said boardly.

Sparx glared at me "and that means what I think it does?"

"Yup" I said cheerfully "we're gunna help him!"

"And if it happens he's not a friend?"

I shrugged "I could always toss him over the edge."

I angled down and began a dive, not leaving room for more argument.

"Oh brother" Sparx mumbled before following me.

I zapped a ape, and the force of it sent him tumbling Right off the edge of the cliff.

I grinned, and sent all but one after their unfortunate comrade, before throwing the last against the goat-dudes cage, breaking one side open.

"Watch it would ya" he snapped, stepping out. What a wonderful way to show gratitude!

"Well, I'm so sorry for saving your big hairy but" I said sweetly.

"Well" he snapped "the Atlawa and Kane need no help!"

"Oh" I raised a eyeridge "just about to spring into action were ya?"

"Come on Cynder, forget this guy" Sparx begged, I ignored him.

I glared at Kane "what the heck did they want with _you_ anyway?"

He glared right back "none of your business, now out of my way, I've got a tribe to save!"

"Oh you're welcome" Sparx called after him.

I looked at him "for what?"

"For saving him, what else?"

I snorted "I saved him, you did nothing."

A dreadwing landed in front of me, begging for trouble, and I zapped it to stun it for a minute before flying up again.

To my surprise it didn't follow.

I glanced down, it was trying to take to the air, but its wings weren't working properly, maybe I messed them up somehow when I zapped it?

I continued on, passing over more maze-like valleys and their numerous nooks and crannies.

Thank god for being able to fly.

I continued on zapping another dreadwing, until we reached a huge stair-like aria with numerous cannons and water wheels , I sighed "were going to need to fly in the fogbank to avoid all this"

Sparx groaned "it's never easy."

"To true" I joked "hold on tight, however much I'd love to lose you, I don't have the time to look for you right now."

He sighed dramatically "oh sister, why must you be so cold?"

I ignored this, and dove beneath the fog as soon as he had a firm grip, keeping one wingtip close enough to the edge that it brushed it regularly, I continued before power flapping up again at the other side, though now my wings were sore, _again_.

After a little time I squinted down, there was a waterfall that fell before traveling and falling into nothing.

"Is that Kane?" I got a closer look at what he was fighting "what the heck are those things?" Twin rock giants were attacking him.

I lighted down on the ground, apprehensively watching Kane teeter on the edge, if he went all the way to the edge of the cliff…

It's a long way down.

He tripped fell down the first waterfall, then groaning Was dragged downstream by the current.

"Yeah" Sparx said "I know the guy's a ingrate, but you gotta do something, and fast!"

I squinted at the guy. Sure he was a pompous idiot, but I didn't want him to _die!_

I was going to give him a non-to-gentle shock to knock him out of the river, before I remembered.

Damn! He's in _water!_

Cutting off the electricity didn't have the effect I expected, instead of just stopping, a white beam escaped my mouth, and the water on either side of Kane froze.

That's right, froze.

Kane pulled himself onto the bank and then the shore, panting heavily.

"Cynder" Sparx said, looking at me "you are getting weirder and weirder by the second."

Shocked, all I could do was nod in agreement.


	24. SPARX THE IDIOTIC

I would have loved to ponder this new development; unfortunately I didn't have that luxury. I had several very angry _things_ attacking me.

After I threw the offending rock giants off a cliff, I looked around. Kane had slunk of who-knows where.

I turned to Sparx "the idiot doesn't like to stick around, does he?"

He shrugged, "so?"

I shook my head "so nothing."

I was hoping said idiot could give me some directions, but that would be tantamount imposable without him here. Save his neck twice and still he ignored us.

I sighed "come on Sparx, let's keep going."

I pumped my wings, power-flapping up and continued on. Sparx point blank refused to shut up.

"So Cynder" he said "why do you care so much about Kane?"

I ignored this.

His eyes sparkled, quite evilly "you know what I think?"

When I didn't answer he continued "I think somebody's in …"

I stared at him, was he really _that_ thick?

I'm not sure if he was really that idiotic or just trying to mess with me. Knowing him it could be either.

"Cynder" he said if fake seriousness "I don't know how old he is, but he's gotta be too old for you!"

I spent half a hour of flying trying to block out Sparx's ridicules idiocy.

"Speak of the devil" Spar said, looking down.

"Ah good" I said nonchalantly "Sparx, if I throw him over one of the cliffs will you believe me when I say I hate him?"

I landed, watching as he tossed apes over the edge.

"You again" he growled "why don't you get out of here and leave me in peace?"

"Yeah, real peaceful" I retorted sarcastically, looking pointedly in the direction of the apes he had thrown over the cliff.

"I'm the boss, no one else is strong enough to best me!"

"Boss of what" Sparx asked sarcastically.

I looked at him "Your all alone?"

"Only until I kick these bums out" he gestured in the general direction he had thrown the apes.

"Because you were really good at it before" I retorted, Trying to resist throwing his hairy but off the cliff.

"Which reminds me" he turned and began walking away "I can't stand around chatting with black blobs and mosquito's!"

"Hey whoa, whoa who you calling a mosquito" Spar interrupted, crossing his arms.

"Besides, It's not safe for you here!"

My eyes narrowed "wait, who saved who now?"

"Oh" I continued sarcastically "concerned about our welfare now? There's no need, from what I see I'm better at taking care of myself than you are! Now, we need to get to the shrine, directions would be appreciated."

He continued walking away "you'll never make it."

He left, not sparing us a second glance.

"Cynder" Sparx asked "how can you like that guy?"

I hit my head against a cliff side in frustration.

I flew up only to be blocked by a gate.

I sighed, flapping up and over, only to run into… nothing?

There was a solid, invisible burier over the gate, completely blocking the way forward.

I hissed in irritation, striking it with a forepaw to no avail.

I glanced down at the gate, lighted down and gave it a experimental hit with my tailblade. It cut strait through the weathered wood, and I quickly fashioned myself a good sized whole.

Sparx looked at me "isn't that vandalism?"

I yawned lazily "If you can't find a door, make one."

I walked through, seeing Kane once more.

He gave no greetings, beginning to speak "The shrine god has not been appeased sense the Generals forces came. He is not happy."

"So" I asked "I care why? I'm not happy, it's often hard to tell but I doubt Tinkerbelle over here's happy either, and your certainly not happy. Doesn't change nothing."

He just glared and turned around.

"Is anyone fun around here" Sparx asked.

"You can't face the god of the shrine alone he huffed, beginning to walk away.

He whacked the door in front of us repeatedly, causing in to open with a creek, before turning back to us.

I snorted irritable "not all of us are loners, Kane. However much I want to, I'm not going alone."

Walking past him, I snapped "maybe someday you'll learn that two heads are better than one. Even if the difference is barely recognizable."

"Yeah" Sparx said "wait what? Cynder!"

I continued on, flying over anything that looked like it might be a problem, until I found Kane again, standing before a huge log bridge.

Hands on hips he said "I have to admit, you've done better than I thought possible."

I grinned maliciously "saying that _had_ to hurt."

He groaned tiredly "more than you could imagine." He looked to me "there are some things you should know about the shrine before entering, keep in mind I only allow you entrance because of the tests I have made sure you did."

I wanted to laugh, everything he'd try and put in my way I had pointedly bypassed, and the idiot only took account of my ability to fly once, and then left the door wide open.

A.K.A. I'd skipped all his 'tests.'

We stopped, a chill passed down my spine. From beyond the bridge a giant silhouette rose, and I finally got a look at 'the General.'

He was stocky, shadows writhed and twisted over his form. Muscles rippled ominously beneath the shadows, and two jagged murky gold horns arched from his head. His eyes were white and pupiless, colder than death itself, and his huge murky golden wings were tattered from many fights. His equally dark gold tailblade swished behind him as he flew, shadows trailing behind it.

Sparx stared "and I think were done here."

All I could do was tremble right then, shaken to the core.

Eventually I would have to fight _that?_

There was _no_ way I could beat that thing.

Breath! I drew breath into my lungs, recovering from my momentary breakdown.

Then I remembered Myst, rage hotter than fire exploded inside me and I crouched preparing to spring into flight.

But he was already gone.

I sighed, pulled myself back together best I could and turned to Sparx "were going nowhere until we rescue Cyril."

I turned back towards him as Kane began speaking "The Atlawa shrine has been desecrated, the god of the shrine has not been given tribute sense the General's forces arrived. But if you can overcome its rage and subdue it, the balance of tall plains will be restored, and my people can return home."

I snorted "now listen here pall-y I'm here to rescue Cyril, deal with your own problems!"

"Oh burn" Sparx said quietly. Without looking I aimed a tailswipe at him. I missed, but it was satisfying non-the-less.

"You must go through the god of the shrine to free him."

"how did I know you were going to say that" Sparx asked long-sufferingly.

"Wait" I said "how do you know Cyril's there?"

He shuffled his feet "Well I err… Tried to subdue the god and saw him."

"A.K.A the god floored you" I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well, erm yes."

I laughed, rolling my eyes "come on Sparx, let's go clean up this guy's mess."


	25. WREATHED IN SHADOW

I strode apprehensively across the bridge, until reaching the final round cliff.

Three stone steps rose in front of me leading to a round aria with what seamed to be a pile of mossy rocks in the middle.

Lying on top of a huge round bolder on the side was a blue dragon.

Sparx made to approached but I blocked him with my tail "careful, remember last time."

Sparx sighed "I know, I know but I don't see any bodiless suits or armor hanging around here."

.

The mossy boulders rose, supported by two stout legs.

A moment later there was a, thing, as big as the ice king glowering down at me.

It took a single step and the ground shook, it roared loud enough that my eardrums felt like they were going to explode.

I cocked a eyeridge, Sparx groaned "When will I learn? When things look good run for the hills."

I rolled my eyes and turned to him "you never learn."

"Err Cyn?" Sparx pleader "Can you go blow that guy up or something? Like now?"

I sighed "If I must."

I turned back, and braced myself.

The things hand stretched out quickly, faster than a blur and left a crater besides me. It did take several minuets to detract, where I torched it ruthlessly.

The thing groaned, And glared at me.

"some god you are" I taunted, ducking under another punch, tipping my chin up and unleashing a inferno to the underside of it's wrist.

Next the thing tried to step on me, but I dodged and got behind it, torching it for another few minuets.

Luckily there were several spirit gems around, but every time I tried to get near one the thing would atack. I hissed in frustration, until I had a thought.

"Oy, you small-headed idiotic pathetic wretch" I yelled, perching myself upon the crystal and grinning like a maniac.

"Cynder" Sparx called, to high up for the thing to reach "What the heck are you doing?"

I ignored this, busy focusing on my latest idiotic plan.

I jumped, performing a tail slice and removing the crystal, so I absorbed it's gems. I landed on the ground, inches below where the 'god' was aiming.

The arm now whizzed by a inch above my head, giving me time to roll over and use my powerful wings to force me upwards.

I grabbed the arm, pulling myself up and flattening myself to the underside of the arm.

Leaving the idiot thing with the impression that it had hit _me_.

It slowly drew its arm back, and my position meant I ended up behind the thing.

I grinned and jumped first to its shoulder, and then to the top of its head.

Grinning smugly I paced to the front of its head and leaned over. Presenting it with the upside down look of my grinning face.

"You look hungry" I assessed. "Why don't you eat my flam-"

Then I noticed, embedded in it's forehead was something dark purple.

"What the heck" I muttered, the gleam of deep purple certainty seamed out of place.

I swiped my paw over the edge, and yanked the whatever-it-was out in one quick move.

The 'god's' face blinked and then the thing sat down heavily, fast enough that my wings held me up longer and I had to hover down.

I landed in front of the thing and eyed him warily, it groaned again and raised one huge hand to touch the crack in its head where I had pulled the thing out.

I held the thing in front of me and looked it over, it was a couple inches long, dark purple shard of crystal, shadows enveloped it and instead of light what fell into its presence grew more shaded.

I stared at the thing, I couldn't take my eyes off it, it shimmered like fire, like a living shadow.

I blinked, I was sure I saw something in it, a face wreathed in shadow. Beneath two moons made one, two unnatural sickly pure white eyes glared at me.

"Cynder" Sparx interrupted my apprehensive revelry "what the heck are you talking about?"

I blinked, snapping my eyes and mind from the dark crystal "I was talking?"

He stared at me "yeah you were talking! You scared me there girl!"

I cocked my head "what did I say?"

He shrugged, and then said in his most ominous voice. Waving his hand like he was pretending to hold a wand.

"A face wreathed in shadow beneath two moons made one, twin orbs of white fire surrounded by dark."

I looked at him, though a chill pressed down my spine "your hearing things, are you feeling alright?"

He glared at me "am I feeling alright? Are _you_ feeling alright? You freaked me out there girl!"

Annoyed, but touched none-the-less by his concern I said "I'm fine now, thanks."

The thing groaned apolitically at me, before sinking into the ground once again. All that was left once again was a mound of boulders.

I looked at the crystal , though was careful not to look into it again once was more than enough for that. "I think the 'god' was being controlled by this somehow...":

I shook myself "well, lets go wake up cold-bones over there and see if we can find a place to sleep before I cola-aa-sp." I yawned, giving Sparx a excellent view of my white pointed teeth.

He waved his hand comically in front of his noes "Cynder, you need to floss."

I glared at him, rolling my eyes "remind me to kill you later."


	26. OLD PEOPLENESE

A few minutes later we on the steps facing a huge horde of lama's bowing repeatedly.

Kane approached "You have restored the god of the shrine, restored balance to the seasons, the land, are world. The Atlawa want to worship you now."

"Worship" Sparx cut in "now that's what I'm talking about!"

"I've never gotten the respect I deserve," he continued, "the praise that's rightfully mine!"

I rolled my eyes, "don't hold your breath Tinkerbelle."

He glared at me, "I resent that."

"Oh I know," I said with false sweetness, the Atlawa were giving their new 'gods' some interesting looks.

"That's er… Nice but we have to get back, we could use a place to spend the night though."

He nodded "follow me."

We were lead to a small hut with a straw-thatched roof. Cyril was given another.

I collapsed, exhausted on the mat of straw provided.

...

"You again" I commented "can't a gal get _any_ sleep with you around?"

The dragoness laughed "I have a gift for you."

"Oh good, is it a free day or two? Thank you!"

She laughed, "you overuse sarcasm young one."

I snorted, "It's impossible to overuse sarcasm, it keeps the slight sanity I still have from evaporating."

She chuckled "you remind me of yo-"

"Yeah, Yeah" I said irritable "I remind you of my mother, don't do me much good now does it?"

"I suppose it doesn't" the dragoness said, her head drooping a little.

"So" I said, changing the subject "you said you had a gift for me?"

She nodded, and slipped a forepaw up to her neck, for the first time I noticed a smooth metal plate, a piece of armor right over the throat, the most vulnerable part of most living creatures.

She slipped one ivory foreclaw into a concealed groove and pulled, the piece of armor opened with a hidden hinge and she handed it to me.

"A little big, but eventually you'll grow into it."

She handed me two bracelets ",They help increase your breath capabilities," and a small tailband.

"Err... Thank you" I said uncertainly, it would be at least several years until I grew into them.

"When I wake up?"

"They will be in your bag, should you choose to accept them."

I nodded "I except then... I guess."

"Thank you young one" the metal disappeared.

She was thanking me? For HER giving ME something? Odd.

"Excuse me" I asked, "What is your name?"

If she didn't give me a strait answer I swear I would have called her 'Blackjack' until she did, or something worse if I could think of it.

She sighed "I see determination in your eyes."

I rolled said eyes "sure sure."

She shook her head good naturedly "my name is Kaboa"

"Kaboa? What does that mean?"

"It means hope."

I smiled "_finally_ getting somewhere here."

She laughed quietly.

I gave her my best cocky grin, "now, can I go get some_ real _sleep? Or is their some ominous warning I have to listen to first?"

She laughed "No doomsday prophesy. For _now_."

"Oh joy" I commented "I feel all warm and fuzzy now."

Kaboa sighed.

I looked at her, seriousness creeping over my expression "please, can you tell me. Will it ever be over? I don't need to know when or how, but please," I closed my eyes "just say they'll be a end sometime to all this fighting."

The two moon's showed light on either side of us, causing both her eyes to gleam from two angles, "all things must end eventually, the good, and the bad."

"Is that old person for yes?"

She laughed "I'm not that old young one."

I stamped one foot, "is that a yes or not?"


	27. A LITTLE THING CALLED HOME

**(AN: I just got a request for a OC to appear in Legend of Cynder, and I'm touched that someone likes this enough to want their own character in it- It means the world to me that people like this story, but I have a very tight space in TLOC and don't feel comfortable using a character I don't know well. So if anyone else wishes to ask I'm going to decline in advanced- I just don't have places in LOC for OC's. I've had to worm the few I have in carefully already.)**

I yawned and stretched, looking around the thatched hut. It actually wasn't that badly-made.

I glanced around, Where the heck did Sparx get to?

I walked outside, glancing around and looked around warily. Sparx on his own was never a good thing. _Ever._

It didn't take long to find the golden idiot, he was perched on the head of one Atlawa kid and another was fanning him with a leaf fan in the considerable mid-morning heat.

Squinting, I noticed he was saying something. I slunk over, tail twitching in irritation.

"pay homage to the great god Sparx! God of umm… All things awesome and cool in this world! Rejoice in my presence!"

Needless to say, I was feeling a wee bit irritated, the kids looked to be about five or six, and their gullibility shocked me even at this age. The end of my tail twitched again.

"Oh holly god of idiocy," I called, trotting up to the group, "will you please shut up now before you give us all migraines?"

I gave him a sugar-sweet smile, which pretty much translates to 'I-kill-you.'

He gulped, "now come on Blackie-"

Wrong name choice.

I lunged foreword, and slapped him with my tailblade, careful not to hit the poor fuzz-ball of a kid under him.

He flew a good twelve feet before catching himself with his wings and steadying himself.

I looked down at the kids, barely shorter than me. "Ignore him, it will do you some good."

I stared as the little two legged llama-child bowed, "yes great one."

What the hell? I guess Kane wasn't joking then.

"Um, yeah," I stuttered, "err… Goodbye."

I turned, "Come on Sparx, we're leaving. Let's go find Mr. Egotist, then we're getting outa here before this place has a negative effect on my sanity."

Sparx pouted, "Can't we stay for a month or two? Or five… ?" He tried and failed miserably to pull off puppy-eyes. I ignored this and whipped around, asking a random llama where Cyril was and finally pacing up to the cave he was supposed to be in. I guess he was too big to fit in one of the rather compact huts.

"Cyril," I yelled, no answer.

"," I gave a long-drawn out yowl, by now there were a good five Atlawa staring at me.

Like I cared.

I grumbled when no answer came again-only snoring. _Loud irritating_ snoring.

I glanced at Sparx and grinned. Revenge time.

He backed up, having plenty of experience with _that_ look. "Now Cyn, I don't know what you're planning bu-"

He was cut off when I grabbed him and tossed him at the cave, "go wake Ice-heart up or else Tinks."

He floated into the cave grumbling, well I sat down lazily and laid my head on my forepaws.

A good five minutes later a pompous dragon immerged, striding foreword and looking properly offended that he was woken up by some form of nat. His chest was partially puffed out, and he looked ridicules.

I barely hid my snort of laughter with a sneeze. "Are you ready to go?"

"What time does this appear to be young dragon," the large blue dragon grumbled.

I rolled my eyes, "the time in which e need to go if we want to get ho- back," What the hell? When the heck did I start thinking of the temple as 'home'? I thought for a minute… When Myst came I realized after a moment. "before it'd be about one in the morning."

He turned his head, eyeing me curiously, "get where exactly?"

"Back to the temple, you've got friends waiting."

"Ignitus?" His eyes showed some happiness, "Friends? Who else?"

"Volteer."

"Ah."

He still looked pleased, but his tail twitched slightly, a sure sign with dragons that he wasn't completely overjoyed.

Not interested enough in the guardians relationships to care- I snorted again, "let's head out before Kane gets here!"

"That is expectable," Cyril agreed readily enough, he wanted to deal with the pompous llama about as much as I did- which is to say not at all.

After a long and rather irritating flight home we lighted down outside the temple. Cyril wouldn't shut up about his heritage, his career as a guardian and even how he knew it because his family was excused of that damn rule because of their high status. It continued to the point that I wanted to scream at him to shut the hell up, but I restrained myself-barely.

I pointed Cyril to the room of visions and went strait to the dojo-room, that's where she usually was.

Myst was already asleep, so I curled up next to her and joined her in sleep.

We have a pessimist, a motermouth and a egotist, whatever next?


	28. UNKEEPABLE PROMISE

I yawned, quietly but widely, knocking Sparx off his not-uncommon resting place on my snout. I turned my head blearily to see Myst beginning to stir as well, Sparx though miraculously managed to remain asleep after falling. Again.

My stomach grumbled, I hadn't eaten in a few weeks- which was normal for me. Can't say I know enough about dragons as a species, but I assume it's the same for them. I vaguely recall some traveling visitor to the village saying most large carnivores were the same way- which greatly assured my parents at the time. In the swamp I mostly caught fish- don't remember what I did when I was too young to hunt for myself.

I stood up and stretched my thin form out, shaking out my wings and tail and arching my back like a cats.

Myst yawned, blinked and then slowly drew air into her nose, nrow wrinkling in slight confusion. Only for a moment though- a second later she yelped with comprehension and joy. "Your back!" I carefully swept Sparx out of the way with my tailblade as she jumped at me. She reared on her back legs in order to wrap her forepaws around my neck.

"I was scared for you," she whispered, tucking her forehead under my chin. "I was worried you wouldn't come back like the villagers didn't come back…" Her eyes sparkled with tears at memories I can barely fathom.

"It'll be alright" I whispered, wrapping my wings around her small form as it shook from suppressing more tears. I hugged her close with my wings, "I'll always come back for you…"

Myst looked up at me, for once seaming to make eye-contact, though I knew that was impossible.

"Promise?"

She was so wise sometimes- but occasionally she did show her true age.

"promise."

I just hope with all my heart I can keep that promise…

Myst still shook, but the storm was over.

"Th-thank you…"


	29. THREE TWO ONE!

A while later I approached the pool of visions room, mentally grumbling because I just _knew_ I'd be getting a lecture on my new breath from Mr. Egotist. _Definitely_ not looking forward to that!

I heard, unsurprisingly, Cyril and Volteer going off at each other in barely distinguishable gibberish.

"-yes, yes Volteer, I see that months of tortured captivity have done nothing to keep that electric tongue of yours from incessantly wagging."

"Its just that its all so enchanting, exhilarating, enthralling-"

_GOD!_ And I thought _Sparx_ was immature!

Speaking of Sparx, the little dragonfly buzzed passed me, into the room and hovered in front of Volteer's golden snout. "All right," he said groggily, "no more thesaurus in the mourning for you pal!"

I sniggered, that dragon _sounded_ like he ate thesauruses for breakfast, lunch and dinner… _And_ for several snacks in between.

"You can come in Cynder," snapped a very exasperated Ignitus from the opposite side of the pool, sounding as if the idiots had kept the poor fire guardian up all night with their endless jabbering.

Mind you, they probably _had._

I slunk in, reluctantly taking my place around the pool next to Ignitus.

The other two guardians seemed not to have noticed me come in, and were continuing a argument I could barely follow, I sighed and gave up.

I glanced at Igntus' tail, which was twitching back in fourth at an increasing rate while I smirked.

"Three," I whispered to Sparx who had flitted down to take position by the side of my head. He barely spared me a glance before returning his attention to the guardians of ice and thunder, his gaze flicking back and forth as they snapped at each other, each being slightly ruder than the last.

Ignitus' tail scratched the stone floor, with a grating sound that made me grit my teeth.

"Two."

The yellow and blue dragon's continued to snap back and forth, I felt the air closer to Cyril begin to get cooler as his temper began to tap into his element. Ignitus _had_ to stop them now.

I smirked again, and said clearly, "one."

Luckily, though I knew what I was doing, my statement was drowned out by Ignitus' irritated shout, "Will you _please_ be quiet!"

The two other guardians shut up quick, as I knew they would. Poor Ignitus. Had he always had to baby-sit this lot?

When they remained quiet, the ruby-red dragon continued, still sounding beyond exhausted, "well, it is certainly encouraging that Cyn here has managed to rescue two of you to allow this reunion, but aren't we forgetting someone?"

Oh joy, more near death experiences on the way apparently…

Cyril nodded, sounding bored now the argument was over, "yes, yes of course, Terrador."

Ignitus nodded at his old friend, " precisely, now how do we proceed?"

The pompous blue dragon nodded, "I believe I can help Ignitus." He looked down his nose at me, "well young dragoness, though it is a mystery how you obtained the element of ice, you should not disuse the fortune granted you."

I knew where this was going…

"So, I suggest we adjourn to the training room that I might instruct you some more. Knowledge passed down from the great ice dragons of yore-_my_ ancestors. Who came from the best of the best of this somewhat bedraggled lineage…"

Sparx rubbed his temple in exasperation as I started humming quietly- just to see if the pompous windbag would notice, surprisingly enough, he didn't.

"-Is long proved great," he continued, not noticing the increasing volume of my humming. "With _my_ help," he concluded finally, "rescuing Terrador shall be a certainty."

Ignitus seemed to be the only one to notice my humming, but made no comment and eyed me in slight amusement. Volteer glared at the ice guardian, "your pomposity, arrogance and pretentiousness is odious to the extreme!"

_Dear ancestors_, did those two ever shut the heck up?

Cyril, unable to come up with a sufficient retort, merely turned and waved me towards the statue room, "shall we?"

I sighed, snorting a puff of smoke in exasperation before following.


	30. INNER CHILL

I sat in front of the blue dragon, who gave me what (I assume) was supposed to be an imperial stare. However, what he managed was looking like he had his muzzle shoved in a large amount of ape crud. The mental picture at this made me chuckle, to which he shot me a dissatisfied look.

"You see young dragoness, fire and electricity are… Nice and all, but now young dragon! You shall learn the secrets of ice! A great power, worthy of only the elites."

I sighed, and thought about something that'd been nagging me for a while, ice was in essence, water. Did that mean I could control water as well?

As Cyril continues his ramblings, I turned my chin down and gathered a surge of power in my gut, before opening my mouth the tiniest bit and releasing a thin stream of slush shot from my maw, no pun intended.

Well, that was something at least. Though I'm not sure how I could use water to fight, it could be useful.

"Excuse me," I cut in impatiently, "but I need to move Myst, she sleeps in here." She was on the other side of creepy-statue-guy, so he hadn't seen her, not that'd he'd have noticed her anyway.

He gave me a peeved glance for interrupting his long-winded speech, but let me go and lead the small dragoness to the pool room, where she plopped down with a sigh. I looked at her with pity as I realized, there wasn't much else she could do. What could she do without site and no one to guild her? What had she been doing well I was away? After all, I'm s away more often than I'm not, and I couldn't exactly demand a day off from saving the planet, could I?

I sighed, before hugging Myst with my wings, turning and padding back to the creepy statue room -and my damned lessons.

I returned, sighing as I forced myself to try and decode the guardian's rambling lecture. It helped a bit if I ignored any sentence that started with "my ancestors,"or "my history,"- but not much.

It was Ignitus who saved me, he walked in, still looking uncharacteristically irritable. "Cyril."

Cyril didn't even notice the large dragon, and Ignitus' tail twitched. It didn't take a genius to realize that it was a danger-sign with the aged red.

I tapped a claw as Cyril finally noticed Ignitus, but, merely nodded at him before continuing.

"CYRIL! What are you doing?"

The ice dragon huffed, "I am merely instructing the young lady in the lineage of the ice technique, that is what you wanted is it not?"

"Cyril," Ignitus said shortly, "this isn't the old days, we don't have years to instruct her! We don't have time! If the chance does come we can tutor her in full we will. Until then we must tell her the aggressive basics, the history and theory doesn't matter now."

Cyril glared at the dragon for a minuet- but the anger left his eyes after a moment, and to my amazement he shuffled his forepaws. Looking down at them like a abashed - what do you call a young dragon? I don't even know what a kid of my own kind was called, hatchling? Fledgling maybe? A twinge of sadness made itself known in my chest. Maybe I'd ask Myst… She'd know wouldn't she?

"Cynder," said the peeved voice of my newest teacher, "did you bother to listen to a word I just said?"

I snapped out of my reverie, "sorry, I was… Thinking."

Cyril sighed long-sufferingly, and repeated his instructions, whatever had passed between Ignitus and him well I was distracted- he had gotten the idea. The lesson was quick and to the point. And mostly the same.

A few minuets later I padded back to the blue nuisence, grumbling under my breath about stuck up dragons that looked permanently as if there nose was shoved into a dung heap. I didn't like ice as much as my other elements. Admittedly I wasn't the most patient person in the world, and freezing enemies didn't seem like a terribly bright idea for me. It prevented electricity from working, _and_ fire would just melt it right off. The only thing it could be useful for was a quick getaway- which I thought flying was just fine for.

To put it bluntly, I was too impatient to care for an element that needed time.

Or it might just be the teacher I thought, grinning as I twirled, I wasn't going to chase the stupid things down. I pointed me chin down and blasted the ground with a steady stream of blue energy, using my will to force it to cover the ground, making it slick with frost. The dummies quickly lost balance and tumbled into each other before bursting into piles of gems.

Awhile later, I was impatiently killing dummies to work up to fury-level, eager to finish as soon as possible and have an afternoon to spend with Myst. My attacks had got gradually more creative the longer it went, and I was actually enjoying myself before long. It was nice to fight for once without worrying about the lives I was ending.

There was only one of the current group left, and I decided to experiment further on my theory. I flapped up and held my paw out, concentrating on heating the ice around me. To my surprise and pleasure, I managed to melt a bit. It was harder, but with enough focus it was possible. With a twist of my forepaw I launched a thin stream at the last dummy standing. Willing it to freeze before its momentum carried it straight through the dummies neck.

Oh yeah, maybe I didn't like Cyril's methods, but I could make this work. I absorbed the last fury gem the dummy had lodged inside and prepared myself for the finale.

It didn't come.

I glared over at Cyril, "sometime before I'm fifty would be nice!"

He merely looked at me, "what did you just do young one?"

"What part?"

He looked impressed, though he would undoubtedly deny it.

"Did you just melt ice," he questioned.

"Yup! WHY?"

He shook his head, "Ice dragons can, on occasion, wield water, but they must have water already. We cannot change water from ice. Temperature is not in our particular range of skilles. "

I sighed, "well, I just did."

Ignitus, from behind Cyril coughed. How long had he been there?

"Perhaps she taps into her fire ability without knowing it, from what I have witnessed fire is the element she is the most at ease with."

Cyril nodded absentmindedly, "you may be right, Ignitus."

I was growing more and more inpatient, "Fury dummies, now please? I'd like to have a few spare minuets at the end of the day for once. Thank you!"

Cyril nodded and the dummies popped up. I began to build power up, until once again it felt like I was a dam fit to burst.

'_Calm. Cool. Relax, we have time…_'

This spirit was entirely different, it was calm- lazy almost. The air around me cooled, as my body was dragged oh-so-slowly into the air. I gritted my teeth from chattering_. It hurt_. I may not enjoy my other furies but this forced calm was driving me mad.

'_Relax, go with it._' The voice instructed, '_calm your fears, your worries, become one with the chill. There is permafrost inside you. Now, slowly, let it out._'

I sighed, focused on clearing my mind, not an easy task for me I admit.

White light flickered around the room, as each second trickled by like eternity.

The cold energy passed down, into the ground before detonating out in a expanding circle, the dummies froze, were coated in frost, then fell, slipping and hitting the walls on the floor now coated with ice. They exploded, showering everything with a fine cold mist, and leaving a smattering of gems that spiraled in to meet be as I landed.

"Well young lady," I shot Cyril a discreet glare, I'd forgotten his presence in the new fury, "you have mastered the element of ice, something few can claim."

Thank ancestors that lesson was over.


	31. A SINGLE TEAR

Awhile later, we were once again in the midst of a rather aggravating discussion.

"So what exactly are you saying," Cyril asked. I yawned and snapped to attention- now it looked like we were actually getting somewhere.

Meanwhile, Volteer nodded, "yes-your hypothesis is an intriguing one," but he shook his yellow and blue head, "but, yet to me it is perplexing to the extreme."

"What?" Sparx scowled.

I looked over to my gold friend in exasperation, and whispered "he says he doesn't know what Iggie's talking about."

Sparx raised an eyebrow, "Iggie?"

I nodded, smirking, "Iggie." Sparx merely rolled his eyes, to which I scowled, "what? Ignitus is to long!"

Ignitus glanced at me, but to my surprise he merely winked and returned to the conversation, "what I'm saying is that via those orbs, the general has been harnessing our power to open a portal- One that must never be opened."

"Why?" I asked, "what's on the other side?" This sure as hell didn't sound good.

Ignitus sighed, "We'll worry about that if it comes to pass, it doesn't concern you as of yet. What does concern you is getting to, And freeing Terrador before the General has the chance to power another one of those orbs!"

Volteer nodded emphatically, "and before the volcano spontaneously combusts."

"That's enough Volteer!" Ignitus snapped, "there's plenty of time-plenty of time."

Why am I not convinced?  
I looked at them in disbelief, then turned to Sparx "This is going to be fun, now isn't it?"

The little yellow dragonfly only groaned, holding his forehead with his hands, not answering.

"Plenty of time? What, we need more time to have horrible things happen to us? Can't we just go hide in tall plains? You know-be worshiped? We're big deals there!"

I sighed, ignored him, and turned to Ignitus, "what do we need to know?"

He nodded, "munitions' forge is is a island dominated by boyzitbig-"

"Wait!" I said, eyes wide, "Boy-is-it-big? Your joking-right?"

Cyril nodded stiffly, "the Manwersmall's have always had a rather primitive method of selecting names in my opinion."

I blinked, "okay then. What else Ignitus?"

Ignitus snorted amusedly before turning back to me, "Boyzitsbig is a great volcano- making life on the surface very… dicey, the manwersmalls- who usually live underground, have been forced to mine metals from the barren wasteland of earth on the surface. The general uses these metals to forge the dark army's weaponry in the great forges laying in the great volcano."

"Do I need to write all this down?" Sparx quipped, but was blatantly ignored-as usual.

"There's been a rumor around the few remaining dragon colonies that Terrador is held there, beneath the earth and flame, and that's all we have to go on for now, but we know he is using Terrador to power another crystal- I do not know how many are needed. This could well be the last, free him before he can sap all of his remaining strength."

"Oh joy- now we're chasing rumors," I muttered, "guess I don't have a choice though."

Ignitus nodded sadly, "The forge is due west from here, believe me, you'll know the island when you see it."

"Oh joy. Just let me say goodbye to Myst and I'll get going."

Ignitus shook his head, "It's a long flight- you should start off tomorrow."

I nodded, "fine."

I yawned and stretched, once more knocking a certain golden little one off my nose. I carefully stepped around Myst, scooping Sparx of the ground with my tailblade and gently depositing him on my back.

I said farewell to the guardians- minus Cyril who evidently really fails at waking up at an even remotely reasonable hour. A few hours later I was flapping over the ocean, glancing down at an ornate compass Ignitus had given me, and cursing the complete lack of any thermals over cold water.

Sparx had long taken refuge on my back, shivering slightly. We weren't that far away from Dante's Freezer, and it was as- if not more cold.

"Are you sure we-we're going the right wa-way," Sparx's teeth chattered.

I nodded, "According to Ignitus we'll know we're close when it starts getting warmer- the valcano's heat travels for miles around. You'd know this if you didn't sleep all morning!"

"Well dear sister, you coulda woken me up!"

I snorted, "believe me-I tried. Feel that? We're getting closer." I flapped and rose up much easier- actually able to catch a bit of lift, and my breath wasn't freezing in the air anymore. "It's getting warmer."

"Oh goody." Sparx snapped, "We're getting closer to a volcano-now isn't that a reason to be just _thrilled?_"

I glanced at him, "What's got your antennae in a twist? You've been in a mood all mourning."

"Nothing!"

"Sparx, I know you, what's wrong?" I queried, slightly concerned.

He glanced at one hand, fisting it, "I'm sick of it! You going along with all this! You're going to get yourself killed!" his eyes sparkled, but he rubbed his tears away. "

I was shocked, he was crying now. _Crying_. Sparx hadn't cried sense he was about five.

"Sparx, I have to. I don't like it anymore than you do, but people need me, need us."

"What about me!" He turned his face away, "I need you too! Alive preferably!"

"And I need you to my friend, I love you Sparx. But we need to do this, don't think that mom and dad aren't in danger, the General's forces will just keep on spreading, we need to stop them before they get that far." I sighed, turning my head away so he couldn't see the single tear that escaped me, "Common, we have a ways to go yet." I had to stop talking before my voice cracked completely.


	32. MANURNAMSSUCK

The rest of the flight was spent in a awkward silence, the clouds, banners of white below me, above me blue sky sped past as I dived through cloud covoring, only to spread my wings and catch myself.

"Holy._ Crap_."

The volcano was huge, spurting chunks of volcanic rock, it was made of black stuff that didn't look all that different then my jet scales. The black stone that covered the surface was gleaming red in places due to the streams of ruby lava that roared from cracks and crevices in the rock. The clouds that looked white from above covered the sky-and were tainted a rich bloodied red.

Jagged rocks the color of dried blood jutted from the surface, like so many sharp fangs. Huge clawlike machines racked the earth like skeletal hands, a few black fences snaked across the soot-stained rock. Silvery soot blew erratically in the wind, I sneezed as some of the stuff got into my nose.

"We're not that far from great plains," Sparx suggested meekly, small eyes seaming rounder than saucers.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," I grumbled sarcastically as I lit down, the obsidian was smooth and warm under my paw, almost comforting, but not quite.

Sparx looked up at the volcano, it seemed even more intimidating from way down here, "Boy is that thing big!"

I glared at him.

"What?"

"Yeah, but we don't have the time for sightseeing, move your segmented but."

He glared at me, recovered finally from his little breakdown earlier, "hey technically, I have s tail, a abdomen and a head."

"According to science," I grumbled. Trying to hide how intimidated I was with the painfully pointless banter. "Now, let's go," I raced off towards the volcano-and hopefully Terrador.

Sparx groaned, "Urg, not again," then followed. "Why do we never have a plan?"

I dealt with a few apes, tossing them into a great glowing red lava pit, wincing at the smell of burnt fur I was all to familiar with.

"Damn this, goodbye, "I snapped at a random ape and took to the air and flew over them, l blew ice on a small fire blocking a tunnel and ducked through, re-lighting it behind me with a burst of fire from my maw. They wouldn't be tailing me in a hurry.

I looked around the tunnel; I was on some sort of track, made of cold iron.

"I wonder what rides on these," I said speculatively, grinning.

"I hate that look," Sparx groaned.

"I'll keep that in mind," I lied.

"I hate my life."

We continued on, I had to kill some peculiar little glowing insects, and felt bile rise in my throat when I realized they didn't look all that different from Sparx.

By the time we exited the tight tunnel, I had got that disturbing image out of my mind. We came out on a ledge. The next tunnel was in plain view, only blocked by a door and more fire. I used the same technique, not bothering with the apes.

After another short tunnel, I looked down on a very strange creature. He was tiny, and looked a lot like some rat/mole hybrid that decided to walk on its back legs, sporting a huge white mustache and a hat topped with a candle, which was tipped down and concealed most of his face.

I lighted down carefully behind the creature, wondering if this was a…

"Man," Sparx jibed, "he's small!"

I glared at him again. The mole-rat spun to face us, "what's that! Who's there?" His voice was sounded grate-y, like gravel rubbing against itself. His long nose twitched, trying to sniff us out.

"Uh, I'm Cynder, this is my brother sparx…"

"Hah!" The creature yelped, "You lie! I'm not that blind! You're so called brother is not even your species!"

"Uh yeah, I'm adopted." I snapped, feeling like this conversation was getting nowhere fast.

"Hmm… You don't carry the stench of the General's beasts, so perhaps you are friends," The thing cocked his whiskered head.

"I think we are," I stated, "So, who are you?"

"I am Mole-yair, leader of the Manweresmalls," he said proudly.

"MOLE-yair," I raised an eyeridge.

"Yes-is there a problem with that?"

"No", I said, "It's just… Very accurate."

"Yes, yes it is," he said.

"Is it just me," Sparx whispered in my ear-hole, "or is this guy as nuts as Kain?" I flashed him a grin before turning back to Mole-yair, "so you're the leader if the Manweresmalls?"

"Yes," he sighed, "but I'm not much of a leader any more. Those of my people forced to mine for the general are holed up in the caves, tied up like some kind of savage beasts! Scared out of their wits, waiting for Boyzitbig to blow!"

A great tremor racked the earth, and I had to spread my legs and wings just to keep my balance, for a moment I was afraid the volcano would blow, but it only took a moment to calm down again.

"Which should be pretty soon", Mole-yair added as a depressing afterthought. He brightened fractionally, "if you would help me free them, perhaps there's something I can do for you in exchange?"

I would have helped them anyway, but he didn't need to know that. "I'm not sure, we're here to rescue a older dragon…"

"I know of him! He's being kept in the mines near a labor camp where my brother Exhumur toils away! We can help each other!"

"Well," I said warily, "which way do we go? What should we do next?"

"Oh, it's simple enough, but we have to hurry. Boyzitsbig is getting more unstable by the minuet. We must clear these caves before we rescue you're friend."

Sparx snorted, "you're asking him for directions, talk about the blind leading the bli-" smash. He flew a couple feet after be hit by my tailblade. "Not the time Sparx."

"Ignore him Mole-yair, we'll help you."

I went on, freeing a manweresmall attached to what looked like a magic leash. I had to kill a few apes as well.

Many apes, fire beetles and the freeing of several Manweresmalls later, I was back with Mole-yair.

"You did it! You did it!" He crowed, jumping up and down erratically, "thank you!"

"Er… It was nothing…"

"Yeah, no problem pal," Sparx said.

"Well," he said, "you did you're part, now I'll do mine. You're friend is being kept at the center of the volcano, past the labor camp where Exhumor is working. Find him and give him my name and he'll tell you how to proceed."

"Okay, how will we know Exhumor," I asked.

"Yeah," Sparx said, "no offence, but you Manweresmalls all look the same to me."

"Oh! You'll know him," Mole-yair laughed, "Trust me! He is the most cantankerous, hard-nosed manweresmall around!"

"Oh joy." I grumbled.

"Whatever you do, don't get on his bad side."

Mole-yair opened, or rather exploded a door for me. Who knew the tiny creatures carried bombs around with them?

I continued on, flying over apes and lava pits and generally staying as close to the top of the tunnels as I could, it was harder to avoid everything here then at the plains and the freezer. I did have to use my technique with the stupid fire-doors. I passed over a huge scorpion as well, and was glad I wasn't walking. In another more blue-ish cavern I approached what looked like a huge stone… Bell? It was big enough that if I hit the gong hanging down from the middle I'd be completely under it.

"Bet you can't ring that bell," Sparx dared.

"Why the hell would I want to?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh-oh, you're scared," he said, mocking me.

I snorted, "Idiot."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," he teased, "the big bad 'ol dragoness is scared of the bwig bwad scawry bell… Oh I didn't know, I'm sorry. Oh no. I'm sowry bawbe. Why dwon't I gwet you nwice cwomfy piwllow all nice and fwuffy?"

If I didn't ring the damn bell I'd never hear the end of it. I stepped forward and slapped it with my tailblade, it shook from side to side like it was on a hinge.

I didn't realize it was happening until it was too late. With a great crash I was plunged into darkness…

I awoke a little later, "wha…' Still surrounded by darkness… And was that Sparx talking? I could barely hear him.

"-orget about those cracks I made about your fatness and your being part pink, and stupid and fat…" His voice was growing more and more frantic. "I love you, you're my sis… Just don't be dead… Don't be dead… Please…"

A sudden love for my brother warmed my chest, and a sort of steadiness. A certainty I couldn't ignore. Sparx would always be there for me, always. I'd trust the goofball with my life, whatever I pretended. Energy grew in my maw, and I had to let it out. My mouth shone green from in it, and a pulse of power cause the metal around me to expand for a moment, then return to normal. I was confused but didn't care, overwhelmed by a sudden desire to be by my brother.

A blast of green energy burst forth from my mouth, and the burier between me and the tunnel exploded. Pieces of metal crashed into the floor around me, causing the floor to shake.

"Girl, I thought we'd reached the limit on weird," Sparx jested-trying to hide his relief.


	33. HOT

I shook my head, smirking, "Sparx, what was it you said before? I could have sworn I heard you say something before I blasted my way outa there."

"Uh…No…" He lied, "just thinkin' out loud, thinkin' out loud…"

"Oh? Fine then," I said. I'd give him a break this once, I was tired and the heat was getting to me, "so what the hell was that?" I wondered out loud.

"That blast thing? You're asking me?" He snapped sarcastically.

I grumbled deep in my thought, then sighed, "your incorrigible."

Right then, guess what decided to show up? More apes! Go figure. I soon learned the new breath did massive damage, but it was exhausting to use. It wasn't long until I went back to just flying over, after I was confident in using my new ability.

I continued on, the heat was really starting to get to me, my scales were slick with sweat and it got hotter and hotter farther into the island.

I knelt down, peering out of a tunnel, seeing what looked like a small train of some kind on one of the tracks.

"Come on, you worthless pile of,-" he said a word in ape that probably shouldn't be translated "we gotta ride steam back to that flea-bitten excuse for a guardian. The crystal should be almost ready, but the volcano's on the brink."

They hopped up and slipped in the hatch, one ape, steam I assume, got in the front. The strange thing seamed to let out an almost beast-like grumble, and two large wheels turned, shooting it down the track.

"Time to go, we have to catch them," I said, racing foreword, mindless of my exhaustion.

The gates closed with a snap, and apes leapt forth from the shadows.

"You have got to be kidding me," I grumbled.

After fighting the brutes and switching three huge switches to open the damn door, it finally clanked open with the squeal of metal.

The inside of the tunnel was illuminated by a fiery glow, giving m scales an orange sheen.

"Great, they're probably a ways ahead of us now," I grumbled.

"And that's a bad thing?" Sparx asked, arms crossed.

"Yup," I sighed.

I eyed a small track-runner-thing, it had a large lever to push up and down on a flat wall-less platform. I was exhausted and it might be less tiring than flying, and possible faster depending on the amount of slope in the tunnels.

I hopped up, experimentally rearing on my back legs and grabbing the handle with my forepaws. It was smooth under them, and cooler than the air. "Here's our ride," I announced.

"You don't even know how to steer that thing!" Sparx said, eyeing it wearily.

"How hard can it be? It's on rails!" I smirked, pushing down on the lever.

"Oh dear," Sparx said, grabbing hold of my left wingblade.

The thing was amazing, and fast, it took only a few minutes to catch up to Steam, who's contraption was slightly slower do to its size. The hot, dry wind rushed around me, and I had to squint against it.

The train had a huge green spirit gem in the caboose, what the hell? It's like they wanted me to get more elemental power! I slammed the lever down, shooting up to it, then reached forewords with one paw and grabbed a huge chunk of it, breaking it off and tucking it into my bag. I aimed careful ice blast at the floor in front of us, creating a thing film of ice on the track and speeding me ahead.

This continued to happen, Sparx had tucked himself inside the bag long ago to avoid the wind. I had to keep my wings plastered to my sides to remain as aerodynamic as possible.

The track split into two and I was now besides the thing, I shot ball after ball of fire, it was all happening so fast it was tantamount to a blur. My eyes and throat stung from all the dry air, so I began alternating Ice with fire, and the occasional half-successful blast of water at the fiery motor. At one point the caboose connector got hit and disconnected, trailing behind before grinding to a halt.

It was far too late when I realized my mistake; the rails reconnected I was in front of him, not a good position, I had to twist around to blast him, and keep pumping the lever so it didn't squash me. When the chance came I lurched to the left, bumping me to the fork in the track with a lurch that left my stomach behind. Sparx poked his head out of the bag to be violently sick on the metal railing.

It happened so suddenly I barely had time to extend my wings and catch myself, the momentum making them feel like they were about to be torn from their sockets. The little thing fell down, down, down, into lava, sinking. I was a little sad to see it go.

Sparx peered from the bag, looking positively green, "okay, let's _never _do that again."

I didn't argue.

I trod onto a ridge and realized I was over 3 thirds up the volcano, and sat down panting for a good thirty seconds before more apes attacked me. I tiredly let out a choice word and pumped into the air, everything ached and my wings felt like the veins were on fire. I demolished a few spirit gems- which helped a cool the ache a little, but not much.

I had to use the electricity trick on a few dreadwings, sending them plummeting to the earth. I flew over another track, now glaring at the strange machines. My fondness of the things had plummeted quite quickly.

I entered another tunnel, praying that another one didn't come and flatten me, but luckily it seemed that the stream of the things was done.

On the other side of the tunnelm I looked at another manwersmall. Hearing our footsteps he spun around, grasping a piece of dynamite.

"Hold the bomb," I said calmly, "we're on your side." Yeah, not the best speech but cut me some frekin' slack, I'm exhausted.

It wasn't much, but he didn't light the bomb, "more likely spies for the conductor, or that beast the general."

I sighed, "Mole-yair sent us."

He tilted his head, "my brother is alive?"

"He sure is pal," Sparx, still a tad green said, "but I gotta say, he's the friendly one in the family."

The rat-mole sighed, "I'm sorry, in these dark times one can't take chances."

"Yeah, granted," I said, "but think before you chuck a bomb at someone's face, 'Kay pal?"

He nodded, "again, my apologies. So Mole-yair is alive, wonderful news. But is there a purpose to his sending you?"

I nodded, "he thought you could help us find our friend, the dragon that's being held here."

The manwersmall nodded, "I certainly can, the majority of the manwersmalls are kept prisoner here, at this camp. We've been forced to stay above ground and mine for the general. Your dragon friend is being kept inside the deepest pits of the volcano… All of us are doomed," he concluded mournfully.

I snorted a puff of smoke, "not if I have anything to say about it."

"What do you mean," the rat-more asked curiously.

"Yeah- what do you mean," Sparx questioned.

"I mean," I explained tiredly, like I was explaining to a small child that one and one equals two, "that we're going to free the manwersmalls, go into the middle of Boyzitsbig, defeat Steam, and free Terrador before Boyzitsbig goes Boyzits-boom."

"Then it's off to karaoke," Sparx added unhelpfully.


	34. REALITY

I leapt into the camp, I didn't have the time or patience for subtlety right now, and broke the flimsy cages with slashes here and there. The same applied to any apes that got in my way. Pity stung my chest when I saw a mother manwersmall with a couple children hiding behind her, and a baby in both arms. She was the last, and she started forward, limping.

I skidded to a halt in front of her, kneeling, "get them on." She didn't seem to understand at first, muttering something in another language with fearful eyes.

I pointed at the young children hiding behind her, and then at my back.

Comprehension dawned on her face, and she gave me a look of pure gratitude before coaxing the two older children onto my back. I didn't understand her words, but she had a certain determination to protect that reminded me of Mom, And even Kaboa a bit. An older female clung tightly to my neck, and a smaller male clung on to her from behind. She handed the babies to the older girl, luckily they were small enough for her to hold in between her torso and my neck.

I jumped and looked around, one of the larger apes stood behind us, bloodlust sparking in his eyes, I couldn't fight or get away in time with them on my back, I'd end up throwing them. But I refused to leave without them.

The mother looked at me, "Goh!," She said choppily in our language, "goh!" She pushed something hard and small into my forepaw, and picked up a metal splinter from the blistering earth, facing the great ape. "no you look back, just goh."

I looked at her, at her determination, at her belly that was plump with another baby, at her swollen ankle, and at a deadly fierceness that shown in her beady eyes.

I nodded, and ran, grabbing the item she had given me in my mouth.

She told me not to look back. I didn't listen.

She didn't scream, she just crumbled, blood splattering the black obsidian around her. The ape let out a guttural cry of victory, before he was blasted into smithereens. I turned to see Exhumur, hand back at his belt to pick up another stick of dynamite.

Her body was gone to, reduced to ashes.

I was crying, tears streaming down my face. More manwersmalls came, took the children from me- to lead them somewhere safe.

If she hadn't done that, her children would be dead, so would I.

Before he left, I showed the object to Exumor- "what is this?" It was small and delicate looking, but somehow I could tell it was as indestructible as diamond, maybe more so. It looked like a metal flower, threaded onto a thin chain, face open.

"It's the cave-lily," he explained, taking my paw and gently closing my talons around it, "the Manwersmall symbol of hope. It only grows in the deepest places underground, glowing like silver fire. To us it's proof that however hard and long the trail, and however it ends for you, there will always be someone to guild your soul home. Sometimes we call it the hope flower, or the dawn-star."

I looked back at the metal lily, long streamer-like petals sprung from its throat, and two long tendrils spiraled from inside of it, twirling in small eccentric loops. It seemed slightly plain, but something deep within told me there was much more to this simple plant then met the eye.

"I'll keep it safe," I said, pressing it to my heart, "hope won't die for me."

I passed the ashes as I went on, and was careful not to let a single tear fall on them. A awe overwhelmed me, and with admiration I flapped my wings, sending the ashes flying-flying into the wind, scattering, free.

"Your hope lives with them now," I realized, looking back at where the children had disappeared, "watch over them for me."


	35. HOPELILY

"I'm going to kill him." I trod along, tailblade dragging and leaving a shallow scratch on the smooth obsidian ground. Exhumur had shown us to the tunnel and left, it was just Sparx and I now. I looked at the seemingly delicate flower-bead before slipping it around my neck.

Sparx looked at me nervously, "who?"

I looked at the pitch floor, "The general. I. Am. Going. To. Kill. Him."

Sparx studied his hands, "I don't know what to say…"

But I was already off, "How many families has this war torn to pieces? How many innocent have been murdered? How many lives have been turned to living hell while I've been going around acting like a fucking ass complaining about how horrible my life's become? Me, me, me, I don't have it bad in this war. I could have died as a egg, I could have been at one of those ancestor-forsaken camps, hell, I could have been thrown into all this when I was younger."

"Cyn, you've cared from the start!" Sparx said, flustered at my language. "You wouldn't have done any of it if you didn't care!"

"Yeah- complaining the whole time, treating the people I meet like crap."

"Cyn! Calm dow-"

"SHUT UP!" I screeched at him, eyes hard, "why does it have to be me? I'm not up to this! I can't save the freakin' world! I'm not selfless enough!"

"Sure you are! Cyn, look at what you just did! If she didn't tell you to run you'd have died with them willingly!" Sparx insisted.

"I should have saved her," I said, angry tears gathering in my yes, fleeing unbidden down my cheeks. "I should have found a way! She was freakin' pregnant! I should have fought for her, I should have…" I trailed off, even in my mad rage I knew there had been no other way, if I had focused on fighting that one ape another would have come along and finished them…

"And another ape would have got to them," Sparx mirrored my inner turmoil, "you did everything you could!"

I kicked a black stone that shot off and bounced off the wall with a satisfying crash, "No I didn't" I insisted, sobbing, ashamed, shattered.

Sparx flew up to me, awkwardly putting a small hand on my shoulder, "Cyn, you did everything you could, it's amazing what you did this far!"

I shook my head, sobbing, I didn't care how idiotic I looked, "No! I failed to protect her!"

Maybe it was chance, maybe it was some bizarre power of the pendant, but one of my tears fell in the throat. It flared silver, glowing brighter and brighter. The silver seemed to spread, encasing everything, glowing brighter, brighter. It didn't hurt my eyes, and a black form began to appear. I felt weightless, slightly dizzy. "Kaboa?" I asked, why are you here?"

"You needed me young one," she explained gently, draping a cool wing over my shoulders. "Cave-lilies are very akin to spirit gems. But they're older, even older than the ancestors. They connect the past and the future, lovers, parents, children, any who have deep connections to each other. It can lend you strength when you have complete faith in yourself and what you're doing. That pendant may not be a true lily, but due to what just happened it's gained power like one."

"But how can I? How do I know I'm taking the right path? What if I mess up…I try and forget it's the whole freaking world I'm fighting for, but it keeps eating at me! It's going to drive me insane!"

"Cynder, do you know where your name's from?" She asked, sighing, "the night you hatched a spirit came to your parents, and bid your name be Cynder, she told them she was your deceased mother."

My eyes widened, "If you know this… Then, you know my real mother? Or you said you knew her before, but her ghost, or spirit or whatever?"

Kaboa's eyes gained a guarded look, "I think your true mother awaits your return to the swamp, that's what you told me before, isn't it?"

I shifted my weight, shaking my head in indecision "I'm not sure anymore… Nina's my mother, but that doesn't make the one who laid my egg a nonentity, does it? I'm not sure what to think and trying to figure it all out gives a headache." If nothing else this was certainly distracting me. That had been a true mom, she hadn't balked to sacrifice her own life for her kids, and I'd seen no regret in her eyes.

"Your mother died on the day you were born, defending the temple," Kabuo said, "it was the last day your father saw her… She yearns to see him still."

"Wait," I looked at her, "how do you know this much? If you can talk to my mom's spirit," I asked soberly, "how come she never came to see me?"

"Unlike most spirits I can reach the living… I suppose you could call it my job. My boss is a bit of a downer, but that's something I can't help…"She winked one green eye at me.

I smiled, I couldn't help it, "wait… Even after death you still have to go running on errands?"

She laughed, "I guess you could say that, I don't mind it. I'm… Waiting for something, when it comes to pass what I've gone through will be worth it."

"Uhh…" I said, confused, "okay?"

She laughed, "Maybe I'll tell you the rest of it another time, but right now, you have a dragon to save, don't you?"

My eyes widened, "crap! How long have I been here?"

"Cynder, relax," she reassured, "time passes slowly here, when you return it'll only have been a few seconds."

I sighed in relief, "that's good… Still I should probably go…"

Kaboa nodded, "only one more thing." She reached a paw forward, towards the necklace. "May I see it?"

I glanced at the paw, almost unwilling, I held it close, then sighed, and handed it over.

The moment the lily touched Kaboa, it began to glow, the frozen metal seamed to rustle in a nonexistence breeze, before it stated glowing silver again. This time only gently, not the harsh flash that had drawn me here. I blinked, and then it was over. Down at the end of the flower's thought, a tiny emerald shimmered, twinkling almost hypnotically.

Kaboa handed it back to me, the metal was cool and smooth like before, but now something felt different… "What did you do?"

"I wired it to myself, I've always had a strong connection with hope-lilies. Now, if ever you need me hold it to your chest and call, I'll come no matter what, and I'll lend you my strength. But be wary of being sure you need it, it will only work once. It will lend me strength to take physical form."

I looked at it, stroking one silver petal with a foretoe. "Thank you…"

She smiled tiredly, she seemed rather weary from the spell, "always little Cinder of hope. Named for an ancient dragon saying, 'Hope is the cinder that never goes out. However small it dwindles.'"

As everything began to fade, I called out, "Kaboa? My mom… Is she a good person?"

A feathery sigh emanated from the mist, "I sincerely hope so…"

I only had time to blink in confusion before I found the heat draped around me like a thick blanket again.

"C'mon Sparx, let's go. We have a dragon to save." I took a step forward. "Are you with me?"

"I'm with you."


	36. LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN

Some apes attacked, and I took a bit of anger out on them, but inside I wondered if apes have families like we do, have I been taking away parents and mates all this time? It had to end, though violence was also the only way that would happen…

I'm confusing myself.

I threw a giant scorpion off the edge of a cliff; at least it couldn't talk… A dreadwing soon followed, crying in fear, trying to flap now useless wings.

I flew over some gaskets blowing steam and through a giant chamber, my wings now sore from overuse.

Ancestor's when will all this end? I wondered as I squashed firebeetle after firebeetle, voice cracked from inhaling smoke.

Now I was in a cavern with four more scorpions-wait! I'm an idiot. I hummed, lower than even I could here, and they fled, dragging riders along for the ride. I hadn't used my gift with bugs, trade of my adopted family in so long I'd forgotten its existence.

Good thing to, soon I was in a cavern with a huge fire-beetle nest, it certainly proved helpful then.

More magmaworms, which it worked on to… I was a little worried that if I kept on I'd forget more things about home, I can't bare that thought…

I trot forward, seeing a craggy wall with dynamite leaning against it… God, when will these idiots learn not to just leave bombs lying around?

BOOM!

Goodbye wall.

The next room was tall, and required way too much power-flapping to reach the top, but I could go on after tossing an ape off the cliff, flinching as he howled bloodlust.

I peeked in the next room, smiling when I saw a great green dragon trapped in a ball of purple light. Probably a trap, but better than nothing.

I took a tentative step into the cavern, eyes slitted, "Sparx, you think that's-,"

There was a huge circle of track, the middle cut through with a "X." Well, I guess X occasionally does mark the spot…The places between the arms of the x were pits of lava, and ender the middle of each of the x's legs, only cold steel as a burier from falling in. Terrador was on the other side, seemingly asleep.

Sparx rolled his eyes, "big dragon being held prisoner in the center of an explosive volcano? Yeah… I'm guessing that's Terrador."

I chuckled," Yeah, but careful… It's never this easy…"

He laughed, rubbing the back of his head, "after the last few times you're not getting an argument from me girl."

I sighed, "Rule one of my life, when it looks like it's calmed down, run the hell away. Fast."

A door opened and in came that… The thing we had had that lovely race with earlier, oh joy. What fun.

"Oh, and look," Sparx grumbled sarcastically, "here we go… Again."

The ape in a suite looked at me from a soft red seat, in a yellow garment that seemed to be…scaly?

Crap, that really looks like dragon's skin…

He looked at me, winking jovially, "well, you're a little late girlie… The crystal's already charged and the volcano's ready to blow!" He scratched his chin, "but maybe I can help you out, a quick death sounds better, doesn't it?"

I looked at him, and growled, leaping forward at him only to be repelled by a force field. I pulled in my haunches and pushed back realizing that, flipping before landing back on the ground. I hate these force field-things.

So, I ran in circles. I know it doesn't sound particularly heroic, but give me a break. The only way I could destroy this moving tank was finding a week point, that's the only way I got rid of the caboose…

I yelped when hot steam blasted from the side and singed my tail, and dodged behind the thing, I was trailing sweat by now, and probably smelled about as good as Sparx did when that frogweed coughed him up.

I dodged into the x, and aside on the island when the thing game roaring passed, it hit the wall and crashed forward, looking like the machine was sticking a butt up. My eyes widened and I smirked, "Sparx, don't follow me, hide."

"No argument from me," he admitted, flitting away.

I dived forward, twisting until I skidded on my back before reaching up and grabbing hot metal with three legs. Careful to keep my wings tight against me, I pulled up. My belly burned at the touch of the warm metal, but oh well. I twisted until one claw was free. With the element of fire I heated those claws until they glowed red. I was immune to my own fire at least.

With a crash the machine righted itself, I barely had enough room.

"Where are you," Steam hissed, grumbling, "this isn't any fun missy!" He drove the thing around, I squeezed myself up, looking down for… There! I was over lava. I slashed me red-hot claws down, weakening that beam to the point of breaking.

God, I was really overheated my now, I sighed in relief when the lava was gone and dropped, pressing against the ground, the back of the great machine roaring off from on top of me.

I jumped off, smirking, and ran back ahead, waiting until I was at the right place… Steam rumbling behind me, I could tell the conductor was enjoying this. I slowed down a bit, had to have him think he was catching up…

There!

I whipped, and ran along the train rail, pretending to trip once I reached the island. I looked around, faking a frantic look as the thing turned, now on where all that was between him and the lava was the sabotaged train track.

"Cynder!" I heard Sparx's frightened shriek, but I had no choice but to ignore it. I heard a grinding noise and looked at Steam. "goodbye."

With the shrill grating of metal, the track brock, and the great machine slipped into the volcano's core.

He didn't even le out an "oh." Going down.


	37. COLDER THAN WINTER

I stepped forward, swiped at the support holding up Terrador's floating prison. It vanished, and Terrador sprawled to the ground with a crash.

He stood up on shaking feet. "The young dragoness lives… one of the eggs survived?"

Sparx snorted, "She has a name you know."

"Uh-yeah, I'm Cynder. So you must be Terrador?" He nodded conformation.

"Yes, yes," his voice was rumbling, like gravel. He was sturdy and well-muscled, a forest green and wooden brown. "And I must say, I didn't think I'd live to meet one born in the year of the dragon."

"Yeah, yeah, love to sit in chat," Sparx quipped, "but… Wouldn't it be smart to like… Run the heck away before the giant volcano we're in the middle of blows?"

"Your right, I need to find the other guardians, they need to know what the General is up to…"

I smirked, "way ahead of you, we need to get back to the temple, fast."

Sparx hovered in front of Terrador's nose, "yeah, let's go. Right behind you-actually I'm right in front of you…"

"Wait!" I snapped, "where's the crystal?" The hot air seamed to condense, and I felt a presence that sent chills up my spine…Oh no…

"I don't know, I was drugged," Terrador admitted…Slowing… "But I know he was he-"

Something erupted from a lava-pit, spraying splatters of red-hot molten rockwhen it snapped wings open. I had to fire a shot of ice in front of Sparx so he wasn't incinerated. A bit sprayed on my side, scorching, leaving a shallow burn.

The general was huge, muscles popping, shadows writhing around him like vipers. His wings shown sick, murky gold, and his eyes where whiter than winter-and certainly colder. He had two bending, chipped horns, and his blood-red wing-membranes were tattered. On one forepaw the left toe was missing, only a stub in its place. That must be where Myst had bitten it off…

He roared, a primal, feral shriek. My eardrums felt fit to burst and I froze, I couldn't think, terror writhed through my veins. My eyes dilated to their biggest, and strange shakes and trembles racked my spine. I felt like it was time to run to a corner, hunker down and die. There was no way I could defeat this thing, he was way too strong, powerful… what was the point?

"Run," Terrador yelled to me, but I could barely here him.

"Comon' Cyn! When big dragon says run, run!" Sparx shouted franticly, but I barely knew what it meant…

Crash! I sprawled to my side, Terrador had slapped me with one great forepaw, snapping me out of it. My left side stung, and some grit found its way to the burn, but I was grateful all the same.

The general growled, low and deep, his white eyes burning cold malice. He flapped his powerful, dusky gold wings and launched foreword, a purple crystal glistening from his maimed forepaw.

Terrador grunted as he launched after, but in a flurry of motion the general spun, slashing with his whole forepaw and leaving a huge, raking gash on Terrador's shoulder.

Terrador roared agony and let loose with a tiny blast of earth, clearly his element was all but reduced to nothing by now. All the great shadowy dragon had to do was dodge to the side, chuckling darkly.

The gash was as long as from chest to my hip, though it didn't look so bad on the sturdy emerald dragon.

With a grumble like an avalanche, the black dragon bunched his back legs to his murky belly.

"Goodbye." His voice sounded harsher than acid, but not as harsh as the tearing of flesh when he kicked. So hard that Terrador went flying, down, down, crashing into the dirt. A spray of crimson splayed from his wounds, and flecks like rubies splattered on my jet and rose scales.

The general looked at me, licked lips flecked with sprayed blood. The way he looked at me with cold determination left no question he was going to kill me.


	38. BOYZITSBOOM

The great green dragon rose with a groan, treating his gaping wounds like nothing "Go Cynder! Fly! Fly like you've never flown before! I'll go back to the temple for help!"

Shivering I whipped around, grabbing Sparx and unceremoniously stuffing him into my bag. He didn't complain.

I launched myself, getting to the rim. With a flail, I grabbed onto the rock, pulling myself up. I stood there panting for a moment, and made the mistake of looking back.

His eyes burned, his claws were glowing green with poison that hadn't been there a moment before. Smoke swamped the air around him, billowing from his nostrils.

Gulping, I leaped, gritting my teeth. There was no way I was going to outfly him in the open air. None.

I furled my wings, my tail straight behind me, forelegs pressed to my belly. The wind rushed in my ears, roaring like a great beast gone mad.

I snapped my wings open- a little too slow. Crap! I sailed into a hole, having to turn around and fly the only way I could, into a tunnel leading into the volcano that was already on the brink.

I was flying over lava, and it was making it hard not to be pushed up to the ceiling. For the first time in my life, I wished there wasn't thermals.

I zipped to one side, the other, eyes squinted to avoid flying ash. Suddenly it became slightly hazier, and I jerked in surprise, it was gone- what was that? It had felt like closing my eyes. I tried it again, a thin film slid over my eyes, like a clear lid. What the hell?

I vaguely remembered that birds of prey had a second eyelid, something thin and see-through that could protect their eyes in flight, Is that what this was? I tensely tried again, and it worked!

I rocketed into a cavern, and had to barrel-roll to the side to avoid the general's dagger-like teeth. I'd been distracted for a moment and he'd caught up. I turned my head around and blasted him with a fireball, but he merely chuckled and shot a bit of water from his maw, extinguishing my it in a puff of steam.

I ducked desperately into a new tunnel, great pillars of lava tumbled from gargantuan holes in the roof. Dreadwings raced by, squealing in terror, desperate to get out before the whole thing blew.

I dived down, next to a great waterfall of crashing, rumbling lava. How deep was I going? We were racing into a volcano that was about to erupt.

Dodging tracks and falling rocks, I continued, also dodging bolts of fire, ice, electricity, earth, a green substance that simmered and melted anything it came into contact with, and red balls. One of the red balls crashed into a dreadwing along the way, and it's eye had widened and it had just aloud itself to fall, not even letting out one last cry of fear before being burnt to nothing.

The general wasn't a terribly graceful flyer, he plowed into anything, not caring as his small finger-like wingblades tore into the soft bodies of dreadwings that flew to close, he didn't give a damn. Once when a small one had been falling at his head, he'd carelessly snapped it up, swallowing it whole. I wanted to gag, but I was a little busy worrying about whether or not I'd be the next item down his gullet.

I dodged into a smaller tunnel, he had to draw in his wings and land, running because there wasn't room for his huge wingspan. Still, he didn't lose any ground, feet beating down hard enough to leave cracks in the hard obsidian.

I whipped around a corner, to find a dead end. Praying that there was space on the other side- I channeled green magic into my paws, preying it would work, and pounced, thrusting my magic-spiked forepaws foreward.

With wings furled, I slammed my earth-empowered forepaws into stone, and it shattered, little pieces going flying well larger ones fell to the earth. I landed on the edge before launching out, snapping my wings open and flying. Behind me the general roared, slamming out, and with a almighty rumble like a deranged beast, the volcano finally blew.


	39. SHATTER

Balls of sizzling lava blew everywhere, and I desperately flew up, barely avoiding one green blast from the General. I swerved, the general's filed teeth clicking shut barely an inch from my tail. Fell a few feet to avoid his next strike, one claw slashed along the tip of my tail, leaving a bloody gash, if I were a inch closer the last three or four inches of my tail could have been clawed right off.

Gritting teeth I dived again, barely missing a blast of fire, dodging left- right, left right… Wings burning, everything aching.

It happened so fast I could barely register it, a flash of pain on my wing so intense I squeezed shut my eyes. I plummeted, air tearing at me, one wing trailing above, limp, if I had enough crystals I could heal it, but I didn't. Not with me…Hot blood splattered from the forearm section of my wing, the sinews that allowed me to move that wing at all severed to the bone, leaving it limp and useless.

Suddenly, warmth, something caught me, holding me… I opened blurry eyes, the burn was spreading from the wound, and I remembered the general's claws gleaming poisonous green.

The paws that gripped me were Terrador's green, but behind him, a muscled black form lunged at us, opened maw sparkling orange, preparing to fire…

"Terr- be,"I tried to stutter, but my whole body was burning, paralyzing, and my wing had been bleeding out for minuets now…

Terrador grunted, unknowing of the beast behind him, "Don't try to talk, the general's used one of his elements to paralyze you, gems can heal the wound," he withdrew a large red chunk of crystal from is bag, "but I'll need to make you a poultice for the poison's effect at the temple."

A red blur passed behind him, slamming into the general, and the tearing of flesh caused Terrador to whip around.

The general snarled, a great cut having materialized on one shoulder, gushing warm blood and cold shadow that scattered to the wind.

Ignitus snarled right back, and lunged again, aiming for his foe's great throat, but the shadow encased dragon dodged, holding his free forepaw forth and causing it to glow menacingly with green venom.

With a slash, the General cut Ignitus's chest, and the wound pulsed with green…

The red guardian fell, like me, struggling only sluggishly when the General caught him, easily lifting him even in flight, I struggled as they fell, vainly trying to escape both the poison's, and Terrador's steely grips.

"L-let go," my voice was pathedic, weak and cracking, "we ha-have to find them, help Ignitus!"

"Cyn," Sparx put a hand on my shoulder, "Sis, they're gone! There's nothing we can do…"

"No," I spat, spluttering, my eyes seemed to be going in and out of focus, everything spinning out of control, "he…. He wouldn't leave me… Not ever! I can't leave him…" I was crying again, and I hated myself for that.

"Cynder," Terrador said tiredly, "he's right…"

"Oh me god," Sparx tried to lighten the mood, but received only a tired glare from me, "that's a first."

"You'd never find them in this mess," Terrador waved his tail at the burning lands, torn and broken, "You're wounded, paralyzed and exhausted. Besides, you not ready to face the General yet."

He drew in another heavy breath, "The time to fight will come, but it is _not _now."

I sighed, the world still spinning, "I-I guess you' right…Let's go…"I tried to stand, and grumbled when that proved impossible. He'd have to carry me back, how humiliating…


	40. THE CLAW

To my initial confusion, Terrador lighted us down in a small clearing on a medium-sized island, next to a cliff face covered in thick, springy ivy. The sun was cheerful as it set, and the grass was full and waving. What confused me were the trees… There were some saplings around, proudly sporting lush purple and blue leaves, but anything that from size seemed like it would be more than ten years old was blackened to ancient charcoal. Only around the clearing though, farther out they were fine.

In the few holes in the ivy's covering, there was great slashes in the stone, inches deep, and in some places the stone had once been put under such heat, it had melted, hardening to obsidian in more grotesque formations.

"Whoa Dude," Sparx stared at the ravaged clearing, "what happened here?"

Ignoring him, Terrador grumbled an explanation for the detour, "the antidote for the venom grows in patches few and far between, it used to be plentiful, but the general had a great mistrust for the plant. He did all he could to burn it to the ground, those who lived here once had a hearty supply. And evidently the plants regrew." He trudged up to the side of the cliff, and with a great a deft paw, pulled a few sprigs of the vine from the stone. I blinked when I thought I saw darkness behind some of the carpet-like vines.

He walked over to a small stream and dipped in his great paw, washing away grit from the plants, "You're lucky young dragon. Very little of the poison got into your bloodstream, if it had your vision would have faded away and it could take weeks, if not months to heal."

My eyes widened, the General's poison caused blindness? And what's more, there was a cure? My stomach lurched and I tried to ask the green dragon, but my voice was but a crippled mumble.

"It is advisable you try not to talk," Terrador said tiredly, pulling a crude stone bowl from his satchel and then a round stone, putting the ivy and a few other plants in before beginning to grind them into pulp, the sound stabbing painfully at my headache. "Incidentally, after eating this you won't need to fear the General's poison again. This also prevents it from affecting you again. But you must wait a day or two before performing a fury, this plant uses a dragon's strength and magic pools together for the healing energy, and they remain intertwined for a day or so when it is done, meaning that if you perform a fury it will leave you exhausted, and not only your magic reserve either."

That was fine I supposed, but what I really wanted to know was if and when that stuff would work for Myst.

Terrador scraped it into a second bowl, wood this time, and added water. He placed it in front of me.

"Drink."

Mentally sighing, I lowered my head, the paralyses was already fading, though the pain remained. I lapped up the brew, wrinkling my nose at the bitterness of it. It soothed my throat though, and minutes later I could speak again. I told Terrador of Myst, preying to every and any deity, real or imagined, to allow it to work for her.

When I was done, the great dragon nodded stoically, "yes, I believe that would work. However, this plant would have to age for a good while, and it's fury affect could be permanent for your young friend, and deadly."

I choked, stomach doing a disconcerting flip, "you mean…?"

The dragon nodded, sighing deeply. "Yes, were this to be successful, her sight would return." His eyes hardened grimly, "however, should young Myst attempt an elemental fury, her bodily strength will also be used to amplify the blast, likely all of it. She wouldn't survive."

I looked down at my forepaws, shaken to the core of my being, unsure.

Terrador sighed, "sleep for now, we must stay a day here before either of us have the strength to continue on."

I gave him naught but a nod in reply, curling up into a dejected ball. One of my forepaws nudged something sharp, leaving a small lance of pain. I looked at where it came from, and there rested what looked like an ancient, weathered claw partly burred in the long-hardened soil, white and hooked, larger than all that rested on the paws of any dragon I'd met so far, save one.

I looked up at the torn wall of ivy, the trees scorched black, the ravaged ground, a my heart leapt to my throat.

Suddenly, without a doubt, I knew where were.

I lay awake for many hours that night, even though I knew the end result would be Terrador needing to carry me in the morning. That proved the truth, and I hated it. I was still shaky, and in the mourning even I couldn't delude myself into thinking I could fly on my own. I drowsed off quickly on the flight, the lulling rise and fall with the green's wingbeats to much for me.

I awoke to a small paw shaking my shoulder, and blinked open eyes to see Myst pawing my shoulder worriedly.


	41. PRECIOUS

"Myst," I cheered, lurching unsteadily to my paws, leaning on my haunches to free my forepaws to hug her. She smiled, relieved and put her head on my shoulder. Sighing, "when Ignitus had to leave I thought you wouldn't come back…"

Flinching inside at the fear I was lying, I shook my head, then, remembering she couldn't see it, said "I promised, didn't I?"

She nodded, "you did…"

"Has Terrador talked to you?"

"The new one?" Myst asked, "yes, he said he wanted to talk to us as soon as you woke up, and then you and the guardian's need to talk about Ignitus…"

I flinched, for one sweet moment I'd forgotten Ignitus' capture, but cold reality hit me again with all the strength of a judge's anvil.

"Let's go," I stumbled to my feet, still sore and feeling like I'd been taking a red-hot lava-bath for a few hours. I wonder how the General managed that anyway…

Stretching out my painfully raw muscles I put a wing on Myst's back and guided her to the pool-room, my heart was beating somewhere in the regions of my throat, fluttering nervously like a trapped butterfly. Sparx was on my back, but for once I let him sleep, this didn't involve him, at all, and I definitely didn't wanna deal with the smart aleck at a time like this.

I glanced at Myst, wondering what would befell her, if somehow this didn't work, because what future could she truly have? She'd need someone to guild her everywhere, and in a world where life for anything opposing the General was a constant struggle… I truly saw no safe path for her… Not if she didn't do this…

I wondered if I should tell her, before Terrador did, and gulping I stopped, causing her to point her head in my general direction.

"Are we there? I can't hear them yet…"

"No," I whispered, mentally cursing my courage. Sure, stay when I'm fighting giants, apes, a dragon that could snap my neck with a twitch, a freakin' empty suite of steel that could squash me flat with a single step. Yet now it decides to desert me, talking to a blind dragon half my size. _Real_ helpful. 'Course, I'm not stupid enough to think it was Myst I feared, it was the thought I could fail her, and that without someone to look after her, if I was gone…

She wouldn't stand a chance… Unless, she could take care of herself, a near uncertainty if she remained as she was now.

I shuffled my paws, feeling like a kid who'd done something wrong, not knowing where to begin…

"Well," I finally mumbled out, "we know why you went blind after the general attacked…"

Myst looked at me, "How? That was years ago…" She seemed confused, and maybe a little bitter that I brought up that night, I knew the memories would always haunt her, and that knowledge tore at my heart. In a way, it'd always haunt me as well.

I studied my forepaws; I didn't know what to say. _At all_. How the hell do you tell a little eight-year-old that if she had just eaten the plant _right_ outside the place she grew up _once,_ she wouldn't be blind today?

"Uh… That's not what's important now…" I mentally smacked myself, "no- err… You see."

Yup that's me, quite the talent with words? Right?

Myst looked at me, to my relieve understanding I hadn't meant to say the deaths that day hadn't been important, far from it. I just didn't want to go into detail about the island, how close the plant was, or any similarly painful topics.

Myst looked at me, confused, "maybe you should just say what you mean?"

I sighed, "yeah sorry, I'm making this more complicated than it should be. What's important is there might be a way to heal your eyes. If it worked though there might also be a side-affect…"

Myst blinked, sitting back and on her bottom suddenly. She didn't say anything, just stared unseeingly at nothing. "I… I can see again?" She muttered after several minutes, shaking her head slightly, like trying to wake from a dream. "I…"

I walked up, and put a wing around her, I gave up on trying to say anything because socially awkward me would just manage to stuff her paw in her mouth. Even more than it already was, that is.

She leaned shakily against me, unsure. I really made a mess of this didn't I? I should have left this to Terrador.

When she stopped shaking, I looked at her, "ready to go?"

She nodded shakily, and stood with me, still leaning heavily against me.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she snorted sarcastically.

Okay, she has been hanging around me to long, that's for sure.

"Believe me," I quipped dryly, "I know the feeling."

She smiled, finally, "I bet you do."

We walked into the visions room, where Terrador stood waiting. Cyril and Volteer stood on either side, across from each other.

"Ah, young dragons," Terrador said, the other two were silent and maybe even a little solemn, which previously I put on the meter of probability somewhere between highly improbable and completely impossible. I guess even they have to stop hiding behind their immaturity once and a while, and Ignitus' abduction was enough of a kick in the butt to make them realize how serious this really was.

Or, I think they already knew, I'd be hypocrite if I said they were the only ones to hide worry behind pointless banter. They probably didn't have the heart to continue with it.

"So young Myst, has Cynder explained?" Terrador asked.

Myst nodded, putting on a brave face, hiding her uncertainty well. "She didn't say the side effect, but otherwise yeah… I think so…"

My brave little girl, sometimes she seemed so old, other times her true age. Her experiences had made her grow up to fast in so many ways. I wonder how different she was than before…

Terrador explained, with the occasional cut-in from the other guardians, Terrador kept them reined in pretty well though. Myst looked calm, masked, only the occasional twitch of her tail showed her anxiety. Ancestor's know where she learned that, certainly not from me, appearing that neutral was completely beyond my realms of talents.

But then, there's a whole lot about her I don't know. Hell, there's a lot about my whole frekin' race I don't know. Like how I could go without food for weeks on end when Sparx needed to eat daily, or even this whole element thing.

A.K.A, there's a crapload I don't know about myself, would I come up with any more things as confounding as fire shooting out of my mouth as I grew?

Assuming I lived that long, which is unlikely to implausible, so worrying about it is slightly futile at the moment, I just prey I won't randomly need to shed my skin or something.

Terrador finished, and Myst looked down, or pointed her head down anyway, "I can't say no." was all she said, "sight is to precious."

Terrador nodded kindly, seaming to forget Myst couldn't see it, "it is your choice to make, and the plants won't be ready for at least a few weeks regardless. Wait until you're sure."

Myst nodded, and turned, walking back to the statue room slowly but confidently enough, maybe Ignitus had helped her learn the rout well enough.

"I'll let you talk…" She said.


	42. ENDLESS CYCLE

Here we were again, as usual, one added to our number, yet, one missing, a gaping hole in the structure that I'd grown so familiar to.

"Well," I said tiredly, "what now? It's my fault… I failed him, failed him when he needed me the most. Only right I fix it." I breathed in slowly, and then exhaled. Not that I didn't like the guardians, but I was _so _not going to have an emotional breakdown in their presence. "I'll need to face him before long, won't I? I need to know how to deal with him, even if the sight of him…" I trailed off, slightly dejected.

Of course Sparx would wake up now of all times, and for once didn't take half a century to start functioning, if not normally, whatever way he usually functions, which is certainly not normal in any way or form.

"Made your heart stop," he suggested unhelpfully, hovering to high for me to easily smack him, "put ice in your veins? Scared the living crap out of you? Gave you a heart att-"

I snorted, puffing a small poof of smoke at him. He coughed, sufficiently shut up, feebly attempting to wave it away with one miniscule hand.

"Something like that," I admitted reluctantly.

"All warrior's feel fear at one point or another," Terrador rumbled, "the fact you could break free even with my help was most astounding from a dragon your age. That was not only your own fear, but one of the General's elemental abilities. His exposure to the darkness has amplified his powers. Though, every warrior experiences fear at one point or another-"

"Indeed," Volteer began to ramble, "it's a proven scientific fact that the right quotient between adrenalin an-"

Terrador shot him a glance, and to my shock, he actually shut up. Wish I could do that.

"Yes Volteer, do remain silent, I believe our good friend here was trying to make a point," the blue dragon snapped pertly.

Terrador coughed, "as I was trying to say, all warriors experience fear, I'd be worried if you didn't. But, only the strongest among us can face that fear, and master it. The fact you got a full blast of his power and still could, that is most remarkable."

"Though I can't rely on anyone else to snap me out of it again," I added, cutting them off, I wanted to leave Ignitus in the General's clutches as short a span as possible. "Now Terrador, I assume you're going to offer to teach me how to use my new breath?"

"Uhh, yes, I was getting to that."

"We're on a tight schedule here peoples, let's move," I snapped, briskly trotting towards the creepy statue room.

I heard Terrador mutter something, think it was along the lines of "Hasty young people," but I might be wrong.

"Am I the only one still petrified?" Sparx asked nobody in particular before heading after.

You know the drill, I led Myst out, with a great growling rumble the statue slipped beneath the ground, and the seamless circle replaced it.

"The power to harness the soil, the wind, the very earth beneath your feat is now within your grasp. Hold it close and it will steady you at the hardest times. Let us begin."

First off, blasting dummies, not that I don't enjoy pulverizing something I don't need to feel guilty over, but it was still nothing new.

"Always be gracious in victory," Terrador preached as I clawed the last one to shreds. Pfft. I retain the right to be however stuck-up I feel like being at any given time.

I liked earth, I found myself calmer whenever touching the ground, suddenly the wind seemed to be whispering, little tips of what do that were always accurate. At one point he had me fight a larger dummy blindfolded, I complied reluctantly. The whispers before and the vibrations suddenly held new meanings, singing warning and suggestions right into my very core, I barely thought, barely felt my paws shredding wood and straw, but I still knew what to do.

I was almost disappointed at the end of the blindfold exercise, the calmness rushed away, and with it the short-lived forgetfulness. Still, after it the whispers were that much stronger.

I could control things, I learned how to move wind, metal, soil, rock, the fabric of it, I couldn't do much with precision except with actual rock or soil and a bit with wind though. Rock and soil I get, giving it's the first thing you think of with 'earth,' but wind? Why was it easier than anything else?

Finally it was fury time, and I passed to the center of the circle after I had enough power. As the dummies pressed forward the pressure began to build, making my body seamed heavier even as I lifted. Forces I couldn't understand began to flow into me, swirling like a great whirlpool, trapped.

'_There are so many things you have yet to learn, to understand…'_ This voice was clearer than any other I'd had whisper in fury mode, and held more emotion behind it. _'The earth moves, endless cycles, as do our lives, when you think it's calm, a storm is brewing… And yet, when the harshest storm comes to quake the land, sometimes out of the ashes many things can arise to shine. If only given the chance… We have so very much yet to learn… Accept that, accept that all eventually must end. Let that knowledge flow through you, strengthen you. Forget your fear of the unknown, only by forgetting can the truth be reached.'_

'_Those who call it mother earth are both true and false, it is true we come from it, it is true it protects us… Nurtures us, but as it brings us life so must death arise from its folds, no one sentience governs it, for it is all. Not the ancestors or any other claimed deity. So very much to learn, so little time. I have kept you long enough.'_

Leaves, shimmering mirages of light began to spark around me as the very earth shook. I could feel it, yet I knew I was floating… Rocks began to fall, coming from nothing as the quaking earth glowed greener with each new impact, the wind whistled around me, somehow comfortingly warm.

'_If nothing truly embodies earth,'_ I sent tiredly, _'than who are you?'_

The unseen voice seamed to laugh, so much clearer than the others I'd heard. It almost sounded female. '_You think me some form of deity? Nay child_, _I, like you am one with much to learn, apprentice to the swirling, chaotic grip of time.'_

And then she was gone, leaving me to wonder if these voices really were just the elements making their wills known on this plain.

I settled to the floor, panting, earth was without a doubt the most taxing element to use, and to my surprise everything began to spin, off-axis with what I knew should be, before falling to darkness. Heh, guess using a fury so soon after taking the medicine wasn't a great idea after all.


	43. TOWERTOP

I awoke, Myst once again curled up by my side, smiling drowsily I draped one wind over her for a instant before getting up and stretching. Sparx for once was already up, and through a window I saw the sun was high in the sky, glimmering.

I muttered something I certainly wouldn't say were Myst not asleep, and rushed towards the pool room.

"I can't believe you feinted!" Sparx crowed in my ear. Okay, he had woken up first, that never happens! If he had had time to wake up, sloth he is, then I must have really slept late.

"Why the hell did you let me sleep so late!" I snarled, rushing in.

Terrador only sighed, dipping his emerald head, "You needed your sleep. Better you get the rest you need before departing, than get yourself killed along the way."

I grumbled but had too little time to argue. Cyril cut in, "yes, it would be unfortunate if the hatchling were to collapse along the way."

I gave him my deluxe 'Go jump off a cliff with your wings tied behind your back' stair, and turned back to Terrador. "Well? What now?"

He sighed, turning his head to me, eyes so old, almost older than Ignitus'. But still, they glimmered with hope. "You've done well Cynder."

Cyril coughed, "yes yes, pat on the back. Good going. All that rubbish, but we have to get moving here!"

Volteer grumbled, shaking his gold and blue "Cyril is terribly obnoxious, but in this case he happens to be right, Terrador. Ignitus is likely the last necessary piece to the General's puzzle. If that last crystal is powered the gate will open and we'll all be done for."

Those two telling anyone else to hurry up?

"I know," Terrador admitted, "when I was at Munitions' forge, I heard the conductor saying The General's final preparations would take place at his layer, where he lives in solitude amongst the thunderheads and the towers, I am certain that is where he's taken Ignitus."

"Well, what we waiting for? Show me the way!" I snapped.

"I'd give anything to go with you Cynder." Terrador sighed, seaming to age years in a few moments, "But that crystal sapped the last of my strength. I fear the power to fight has abandoned me for a time."

Volteer looked at his comrade, "Every generation must pass the torch to the next Terrador, it's only natural. Perhaps our time is done."

"Yes," Cyril agreed, to my shock bowing his head to me, "it is Cynder's time to shine. Now, go to it young dragon!"

I grinned, couldn't help it, and trotted off to say farewell to Myst. Behind me, Sparx grumbled in astonishment, "Wow. You guys make even me want to face The General…"

"Wait..." He mumbled a moment later, "did I say that out loud?"

After hugging Myst and promising her I'd be back, I asked the guardians about where I was going.

The answer came from Terrador, "The Generals' layer is where hope goes to die Cynder." Real encouraging, huh?

"A dark forbidding place where he broods and contemplates, planning his next attack. You must make your way to the top of his tower, where I'm sure Ignitus is being held."

After a shorter flight than I expected, I lighted down in front of the spire, huge and menacing, reaching up forwards the sky longingly. Blue crystals spiked all around me, but they weren't spirit gems, they seemed to wrench at something deep in my gut, making me nauseous.

Gulping, I looked up at the towertop, and stretched my wings. This was finally it.

"You ready for this?" I asked Sparx.

"Me? You're joking right?" He joked weakly, "It's you we should be worried about!"

I chuckled, he never would change, will he "let's get this over with then."

I leaned down, rocking from side to side before launching myself up, snapping wings open and flapping. I just hoped the top of the tower was open to the sky, blasting myself a door would certainly draw attention to myself.

I power stroked up, circling around the tower because it was impossible to fly strait up that far. A chill crawled along my spine, and I felt like there were eyes following me from the gloom. I glanced around nervously, wordlessly stuffing Sparx into the bag. This eerie silence was never a good thing. _Ever._ I glanced at the tower, and the shadows seemed to twitch and writhe like living things. I angled away from the tower, but it was already too late. With the pounding of large wings, the sky was dyed black with the forms of dreadwings, wraiths in the night.

"Well, crap."

"Whe meeht aht lahst, I hahve beehn prehparing fohr lohng. Phepare tho dhieh!" A dreadwing emerged, the only one with a rider as far as I can see.

I looked at Sparx, "what was that?"

He peeked out of the bag, "Umm… I think the last part was something about repairing a lie? Or maybe preparing to die?"

I snorted, "I'd place my bet on the latter."

"You and me both, by the way, didn't Terrador say this place was uninhabited?"

I snorted, "With our luck, what fun would that be?"

He nodded, "go kick their butts, black girl." Then he lunged back into the bag as the horde dived at us.

Have I mentioned how much I love electricity breath? At least while fighting dreadwings. Except that I kept having to dodge falling bodies, that was a bit irritating.

I short bolts and arks of lightning, and as always it messed with their wings somehow, the same trick I'd learned at tall plains to remove them easily. I killed at least fifty of them before my magic ran out, then Sparx handed me the crystal I had stored in my bag and I absorbed it into the pad of my forepaw.

"Careful," he warned, "that's the last of it!"

Finally, it was only me and the rider left, with plenty of elemental magic to spare. His mount snarled at me and he glared, "whe wihl meeht agaihn!" And he chucked something at me before urging his steed into a dive.

I veered to the side and it passed right next to me, something hard and black. I gasped as my elemental strength was wrenched from within, flooding away as the crystal toppled out of sight.

I dropped a good six feet, gasping in shock before I could steady myself.

I growled a few curses, unless I went searching for crystals, which I didn't have time for, I would have to face the general without using my elements.

Not good.

Crap. Just crap.

I thought about searching out spirit gems for a minute, but disregarded it, no telling what The General would do to Ignitus when the orb was powered. I'd just need to chance that I could beat him without my elements, somehow… I happened to glance down, somehow the strange stone had lodged in a dreadwing nest, pulsing with shadow.

For a minute I wondered, maybe if I chucked the thing at the general… But the air around it pulsed with shadow, a aura that sent a chill up my spine. Tentively I glided to land near it, eyeing it warily. It was a smooth rock, sly shadows curling and hissing around it like vipers.

Sparx poked his head out of the bag, slipping out. "Why you looking at that thing?"

I sighed "It made my elemental magic go to nothing, what if I chucked it at the general? Would it do the same to him?"

He thought for a moment, "I don't think so… Remember one of those things was in the creepy grass dude's head? I don't think anyone but the general could have got it there, do you?"

I nodded absently, then snapped my head over to look at him, "did you just say something that makes sense?"

He shrugged tiredly, not willing to take my bait for once, and I smirked. "Well, I guess everything's gotta happen at least once! Otherwise the universe would get pretty boring!" I launched myself up, daring him to race me to the top.

I know, I know, I was being an immature idiot, call it my way or relieving a bit of stress. It at least helped the nervous lurching of my stomach to a point.

We reached the top all too soon, and I glanced around warily, lighting down on a strange platform.


	44. OLD WOUND

The air here tasted different, like stone-dust. Strange tangs in the air sent shivers up my spine. It felt like pressure was rising, like with my furies, swirling clouds in preparation of whatever was to come.

At least my furies were to my favor, here it seemed like the realm itself was readying itself to shake apart at the seams, tearing apart until the very sky was torn to bits and pieces.

I shivered, glancing around, there was Ignitus, suspend above the hard tile with a blue ball of magic, gripping him like a spider's web, though far from the fine silk that hung around my neck and shoulder.

Shadows writhed at the edges of my vision, seeming to creep foreword, but as I whipped my head to look, I found them only results of paranoia.

At least I hope they were.

I gulped, placing one foot forward, then tentatively bringing the other up ahead of it. The cold tile pressed against my pads, and my tail and wings were so stiff it felt like a breath of wind could snap them in half.

All was still though, the wind held silent, the shadows watched with invisible eyes, and Ignitus was right there, alive and somehow whole.

Sighing, if this was a trap, there was little I could do about it. I stepped towards Ignitus' prison

"Cynder…?" Sparx fluttered nervously after, his wingbeats the only sound next to that of my beating heart and the crackle of the blue electricity holding my mentor in place.

I ignored him, trying to extend my senses as far as they could go. I'd really rather avoid having my neck snapped before I knew what had happened to me.

"Um… Cynder?"

"What?" I snapped, edging forward, still no sign…

"I don't like this." He confessed, "it feels like he's baiting us… I'm getting smarter."

"No shit Sherlock." I snapped to the first remark, I thought I heard the swish of wings, but whipping my head and looking upward I found nothing, "now shut up so I can listen."

Apparently awakened by my snapped profanity, Ignitus' ruby orbs blinked open blearily, then widened seeing it was me.

"Cynder," his voice was so much older, so ragged, like his strength had been whipped to pieces and scattered like ash in the wind. "De-destroy the crystal! Quickly!"

I hadn't even noticed it resting beneath him before, and looking upon it… I found I really didn't care, I came for him, not some dumb lump of rock!

"C'mon," I growled, "let's get you out of there before the General gets back!" I stepped foreword, but suddenly something was barring my way. Same scales wrapped in writhing shadows, same eyes colder than death itself.

He grinned, almost jauntingly"If only it were that easy, " tail swishing up in a little loop. "Go ahead little lady." He mocked, tilting his head towards the red guardian, "save the poor red beast." He leaned his head down, one glowing eye as big as my paw, and grinned. His teeth, filed to grotesque points, were stained a sick rust-red with aged blood, and his breath smelled like fresh death.

"Of course," his voice was old and young all at once, and he crouched, widening his blood-died wings. "It may be a bit harder than you think."

"So-so-so big," Sparx trembled, and I made a frantic twitch of my tail, signaling him to get out of firing range. He complied without complaint.

The General circled around me, each heavy pawstep ringing like cold thunder. "It's time you learned how complicated life can be."

With a twist and a lash, he brought his huge murky gold tailblade forward and slammed it into me, sending me sprawling onto my back. The pressure exploded on my side, burning like fire, but still I righted myself, rising on trembling legs.

"Run Cyn!" Ignitus cried desperately, "save yourself!"

"Not this time!" I stood, crouching, my tail lashing back and forth like a viper ready to strike. "this time I fight!"

The General snorted, a cloud of gray smoke curling from his gaping nostrils, "oh? Let's see it then!"

The truth was, without my elements? I didn't stand a chance.

With a slam he shot a great roiling bolt of electricity at me, and I rolled to the side, barely missing it. It left a blackened scorch where I had been a moment before.

Gritting my teeth, I dodged another blast, this time of a red matter I now understood.

Fear.

If I was hit by that again, I don't think I'd have the strength to continue.

The General snarled in frustration, leaping towards me and slamming his paws into the earth, creating a shockwave that nearly sent me careening off the edge of the platform. The whispers were there again, guiding me, and per instruction I lurched up into the air, wings straining in frantic downstrokes to get me high enough in time.

I learned why a second to late, with a rumble, stone spikes shot up from the ground for a split second, one brushing the bottom of my stomach and leaving a long but shallow gash. Hissing a profanity I flapped higher, one wing burning that had also been clipped, a small tear in the membrane leaking air and making steady flight nearly impossible.

A few tears of pain leaked unbidden from my eyes as I dropped clumsily, blood drenching the tile under me. Pain lanced from the slashes, and I fished a red gem from my back, absorbing it. At least I was only out of magic gems. The cuts sealed, leaving only a jagged scar that would be gone by day's end.

That's assuming I lived that long.

Crouching again, a released my muscles and shot forward, dry wind rushing around me, tearing at the sore skin around my new scars and burning my already stinging eyes.

It burned until I was forced to squeeze them shut, and when I landed I forced them open and found myself in front of the general's wounded foot, the stub void of shadows. A pink, sore tip with a almost bruise-like, sickly purple sheen. I wasn't really thinking properly at this point, the adrenalin pounding through my veins had erased everything else, anything but fear and desire to protect had disappeared like ash on the dry wind.

Lunging forward and giving a infuriated hiss,, I clamped down on the old wound, biting through the uncovered skin that was the only protection left on it. My teeth went through like razors it was so soft.

I squeezed my eyes shut as dark blood splattered everywhere, the sick, rusty taste causing my tongue to feel like it was burning away cell by cell, I'd give anything for water... My claws scratched and skittered uselessly against the rough scales, causing a agonizing squeal like nails on a chalkboard.

For a minuet, all else was silent, and I worried I'd bitten into the horrid flesh for nothing, but then the huge dragon released a agonized shriek, feral, hammering into my eardrums and tearing any mental capacity I had left apart by the very seams. Fear crashed through my body, and the only thing that kept me clinging and clawing at the bloody stump was arrogance.

I'm not afraid of you!

Finally regaining some semblance of composer, the General snarled, "you need to learn to give up!" His voice softened, so quiet I doubt anyone else could here it... "I don't want to kill you!"

I glanced up, and his eyes seamed softer for a minuet, pained and young, a naivety the General certainly lacked, but then it was gone, and his eyes narrowed again, and a great pressure exploded against my side, faster than whiplash. Before I knew what was happening, I was flying backwards, cracking against a pillar, squeezed for a minuet between it and his broad tailblade before it released me and let me fall.

I barely stumbled to my feet, panting and looked up just in time to see the General launch at Ignitus, snapping his head down to grab the charged crystal, before crouching and exploding into the air. He launched upwards, his shadowy form disappearing into the coal-black night.


	45. A LITTLE SOMETHING FARMILIER

I struggled to my paws only to fall again, my smooth blood-stained belly pressing against the cold stone floor. Ignitus stumbled to my side, huge tailblade grinding against cold stone. Silently, he reached into a brown satchel that looped his neck and handed me large chunks of both green and red crystal.

I looked at him, "Don't you ne—?"

"You need them more than I," he said tiredly.

I nodded, absorbing them into one paw and sighing when the refreshing cool wave enveloped me then disappeared, taking the ache with it. My elemental magic spiked to normal, a reassuring warmth in my chest.

I studied my forepaws for a minute, something pressing on my mind. "Ignitus, the General. There was something in his eyes, something that reminds me of well…me."

I looked at him helplessly. Was I insane or was there more to it than that? Ignitus' expression was sign enough, his ruby head dipping to the earth as his shoulder slumped like they bore the weight of the worlds. "There should be, Cynder, there should be. You and the General share more than you know... It's time I told you the truth. All of it."

I sank deeper to the ground, still leaning heavily against the pillar. Blood splatter covered me, smelling like rust. Though it didn't really show on my black hide, my pink belly and membranes were splattered with darker red, while the white of my horns and blades were all but dyed. Thank the ancestors my spidersilk bag was embedded with some simple craft-magic, just enough that any liquid would simply run straight off without staining.

Sparx fluttered next to me. After checking me over, he sighed wearily. "Man… You look like hell, Cyn."

I raised an eyeridge at him and he shut up. I turned back to Ignitus.

"You see, on the night off the raid, after I took your egg to the silver river, I returned to the grotto to save the others. And found...utter chaos. The other guardians had been overrun, the other eggs smashed to splinters. All but one. You see... He wanted to destroy all the eggs to prevent the birth of the purple dragon, but he also needed a dragon."

"Why the hell would he need a dragon?"

"Because only one born in the year of the dragon can open the portal that serves as the Dark Master's prison. He wanted any dragon, save one. But by the time their leader got to the nests, the purple egg alone remained."

My eyes widened, "So the General, under all the shadows... He's…?"

Ignitus nodded tiredly, "He is the one with the power of the purple dragon, foretold to bring peace to the realms once again."

I cringed. What was I supposed to think? How was that_ thing_ my age? If Ignitus hadn't taken my egg first, would I be in his shoes?

"If he's like me, why is he so...?" I trailed off.

"Big?" Sparx filled in. "Monstrous? Evil? Powerful?"

I snorted, "Something like that."

Ignitus exhaled softly, "Because, Cynder, after he was taken by the Dark Master, he was corrupted. Altered by the Dark Master's poisonous nature, twisted by his evil lore. He's become worse than a monster, unable to distinguish morality. The few times I have seen him act even slightly for himself, he was pulled under again in mere moments. He's only said something sane to any of the guardians once."

"What did he say?"

Ignitus sighed, "Before you came, he told me he has a name, one he chose himself, then he was lost again..."

"What's his name?" I wondered, looking at him.

"He never had time to say. He just seemed troubled for an instant that he was only ever called the General, but then it faded again. He's inseparable from the evil ravenous need to carry out the Dark Master's will."

I shivered. "But why? What does this 'Dark Master' want, anyway?"

"He wants to be freed from Convexity, so he can unleash havoc across the land. And if the General manages to open the portal, he may just succeed."

Suddenly, the tension that had been building detonated and the earth shook like thunder.

I barely managed to stay steady, but it passed. Even without seeing beforehand, I knew to look to the sky. And there, a spiralling vortex of energy loomed, shining brighter than a blue sun. It was almost beautiful, in an eerie, horrifying kind of way. The very air pulsed with power, sending shakes and shivers down my spine as the fabric of reality itself was torn apart.

Ignitus looked up at the ethereal spiral, worry draped around him like a veil. "I'm afraid…we might be too late."

I looked at him. We'd definitely gone too far to give up now. No fucking way in hell.

"No. I refuse to give up! We've come this far, and I'm sure as effing hell not giving up now! I'll stop them both if I have to!"

"Cyn—" Sparx started to argue, but a glare shot his way shut him up. I looked at Ignitus.

"Okay, okay, Cynder. You're right. At the very least, you have to try. If the Dark Master escapes, a shadow will fall over the land. Be careful, Convexity acts as an airlock between our world and the Dark Realms beyond. You must stop him before he uses the final crystal and activates the portal."

I nodded, dipping my head to him before crouching and exploding into dry air. Blood beat through my veins, and my ears pounded like drums. I could barely hear Ignitus' last words to us over it all.

"May the Ancestor's look after you..." He paused, stepping forward to look up as I shot upwards. "May they look after us all."

I knew one thing. If I was going to do this, I had to do it myself. I couldn't rely on the help of anyone.


	46. FLEETING

I continued flying upwards, the vortex so bright I had to shut my eyes tight and just keep flying. Sparx clung to my neck so we wouldn't get separated.

I opened my eyes to insanity.

A great expanse of blue and red nothing, little bits of land floating here and there, a huge platform with a doorway that I assumed was the portal, and just to cap it off, floating, gigantic, freakin', sea creatures.

"...What the hell?" was my response, while Sparx favored a 'Now I've seen everything.'

Shaking myself and deciding it really didn't matter at the moment, I snapped, "Yes. And if we stay, I bet you'll see a _hell_ of a lot more. _Move!"_

With no answer to this, he followed as I glided down towards the middle platform.

"Shit!" The General had already released the last crystal, and it flew into the glowing portal before vanishing.

He turned as I landed, studying me. "You're too late, you know, the portal's already preparing to activate. Nothing short of stemming the energy I'm giving it will stop it. We both know that's impossible. Back off and scram if you don't want to die."

"...Like hell," I growled, pacing forward.

For a second he looked almost sad before he snarled, smirking. His teeth were dyed a sick crimson. He crouched, huge tail lashing. "No mercy this time!"

"Oh, now I'm afraid," I smirked, making my features look as patronizing as I could. "Does the little dragon want to look all grown up? I know who and what you are!"

I skittered to the side as a huge forepaw crashed where I'd been a moment before. "You're no older than I am!"

"Like it makes a difference?" The General growled, half-heartedly swiping his blunt tailblade at me. "I'm not what I'm supposed to be, and I have nothing that'll fix that… I've never been who I wanted to be…"

His eyes hardened again and he smirked, muzzle writhing as filed fangs were bared. "I think I'll end you now, you're having a negative effect on my sanity."

He lunged and I ducked, skittering right under him.

"It's a skill!" I spun so fast it was almost dizzying and sprang into the air, grabbing one of his backblades in my forepaws and shooting a roaring ball of fire at his head. He'd already started to whip his head up, so it scorched the scales of his neck instead.

Dragon scales—at least in my experiences—don't really burn. Fire hurts, yes. And if it's hot enough it'll do plenty of damaged, but all my quick attack did was leave the back of his neck covered in a thick layer of soot.

Deeper darkness showed through the soot, like light through something transparent. Something sparkled slightly there, a sheen from the last bits of disappearing flame. Whatever it was, it emitted shadow so dark the momentary shimmer was like a lone star in a pitch sky.

I squinted and gasped. The General had another of the weird dark crystals embedded in his neck, pulsing with power.

It had to be controlling him, like the dark gem in the Stone Sentinel's forehead had controlled it. Gritting my teeth, I bunched my hindquarters, shooting forward and snapping my jaws down on the small spike. Touching it sent a jolt up my spine, and if my scales could have bristled like fur, they would have. My teeth were alive with cold flame, but at least it didn't sap my element away, which made sense. The General couldn't use elements if it worked normally.

I closed my eyes and leaned back, yanking the thing, only to stop, shocked.

The General shrieked.

A mixture between a howl of fear, pain, and a sob. He yowled like his whole body and then some was on fire. The unearthly shriek went on and on… My head was exploding with the volume, and I clutched my forepaws over my ear-holes in vain. It didn't help.

The sound tore through me, probably unintentionally infused with fear. The power ripped through me, body and soul, until my grip slipped and I fell from the General's back, shaking like a wounded dog.

Before he turned, I saw the air around the gem shimmer with a new dark malice.

When he turned, his eyes had changed. They'd lost the guilt and confusion. Instead, they glowed yellow, like murky, sick topaz. They held intelligence, eyeing me with an ancient air, looking at me like I was something small and fleeting, an insect in the eyes of time.

"It's really too bad you saw that." His deep voice rumbled like thunder. "You could make my little pet here an interesting companion. Unfortunately, now I have to kill you myself."

I backed up, staring, "Are you the Dark Master?"

I was still shaking, and try as I might I couldn't think of something sarcastic and derogatory to say.

"I could answer that, but why bother? You're going to die momentarily, regardless."

And then he lunged, shadows flickering around him like dark fire.


	47. TRUE DRAGON WITHIN

If it weren't for him, I would have been slashed clean in half then and there.

Something that wasn't really there took hold of my limbs and shoved me to the side. I blinked until I heard him whisper in my ear, or was it my mind?

_Careful, he's faster than I was, and he's not confused either…_

I blinked, "Who are yo—?"

_Dodge!_

I blinked and leapt back, barely avoiding an explosion of fire right where I'd been mere moments before.

What the hell was happening to me? I didn't notice the claws coming towards me in my confusion, and the force took over my legs again, forcing me to tumble haphazard away from them.

_Don't question me, I'm trying to help you! Just move! Please…_

Unfortunately for both of us, I wasn't the type of girl to instinctually obey commands. I was the one to do the opposite, and quite commonly end up regretting it later.

I froze for a moment, and a scorched leg was the result. It stung worse than it would if it was still ablaze, and I couldn't press it against the hard earth without a jolt of pain flashing through my body.

_I'm not helping… I'll go back, just take it. I… I don't want it. I don't want to hurt anyone… Not any more…_

Power flooded into me, partially healing my aching paw and making my veins burn with power.

I squeezed my eyes closed as it rushed around inside me. When I opened them, lights flashed in my peripheral vision as a chill swept around me. Everything seemed so surreal. Like a dream. Like a memory of a dream.

The voice was gone, leaving me to wonder if he'd been there in the first place. Power crawled around me, burning me, making me want to scream agony to the winds. I focused my eyes on the general, slit in fury.

I think I heard Kaboa then, whispering on the suddenly frail wind.

"_Now, it's time to release the true dragon within you…"_

Ethereal whispers rang around me as I leapt forward, taking to the air with three smooth wing strokes. Rising. Forepaws glowed faintly, bursting into a surreal, raging purple flame that made them nearly invisible.

The General—or whoever it was that was possessing him—flapped bloody wings, strokes pounding like drumbeats, and rose to be even with me, demonic eyes narrowed with cold malice. Power, all of it, rushed to my forepaws, the purple energy so bright it dispelled some of the shadows, gleaming against the already amethyst purple underneath.

"For Myst…" My voice was lost to me in the raging thrum of blood pounding though my head, though I knew I'd spoken. My whole front glimmered purple from the light enveloping my paws, and I only paused for an instant, guilt tearing at me for destroying a child my own age.

I heard a sigh, and just maybe the voice, so weak on the wind. _I deserve it, and it's better for everyone… Go._

Only then did I bring my forepaws down, slamming against the General's chest-plate in an amethyst firestorm. I had to squeeze my eyes shut; all I could see was my own, unbearably bright, purple radiance.

Far… Oh so far away, I heard something crack like a gunshot.

And then it was over.


	48. FAR FROM OVER

Power rushed from the General's body, scattering like ash on the wind. Gasping, I stayed where the wind had roughly tossed me to the stone.

I stumbled to my feet, looking to the General. His whole body became steadily lighter, the shadows fleeing to reveal bright royal purple and burnished gold. With them, the excess power leaked from him, and he groaned as the muscles and size faded. He was my size now, shivering and shaking, curled in on himself like a hatchling.

My eyes were wider than full moons by now, and I barely noticed Sparx come to hover beside me.

"He really is just like me…" My voice was flooded with awe and disbelief.

The power that was stabilizing it gone, the portal flashed and the very air quivered. Like a great black hole, it swirled inward, strong enough that the little dragon went flying into it.

"Cynder, we gotta get out of here… Like _now_!"

He saved me… I'm sure that was him… "No! I'm not leaving him. I've got to save him!"

"_What?_" He looked at me liked I'd grown a few extra heads. "Save the beast that's been trying to _kill us?"_

"Not his fault, he was being controlled."

I jumped into the air, wings pressed to my side, and let the wind do all my work for me. The frame of the portal flashed by, and I was in a whirling inferno of shadows. Light in here was so rare all I could see was the purple form shooting away.

I streamlined my body and grabbed his tail with my forepaws. As I spread my wings wide to catch us, wind beating me like hammer blows, my muscles screamed in agony. Gritting my teeth, I yanked the prone purple form back to me, slipping my forepaws under forelegs and tugging him up.

I fought against the vortex, eyes squeezed shut in agony. Something was pulling me backwards. Pulling on every fiber of me, body and soul. Pain lanced in my chest as the darkness closed in around me, choking me. I was drowning… Drowning in shadows…

Then there were lights surrounding me, five of them, a shimmering mirage of blue, orange, yellow, green and black, and the pressure neutralized.

Wings on fire, every wing-stroke agony, I pulled us out of the dark, tumbling in then out of Convexity in a swirl of rocky bits, blues and whites. I was falling… falling... falling…

And then pressure hit me, and all faded back into shadow.

…

The guardians must have found us, because when I woke up I wasn't on the grass I'd fallen to. The cool marble floor of the temple gave my stinging skin a little comfort, and the warm form pressed next to me did as well. My emerald orbs blinked open as I tried to raise my head. I tried to speak, but my voice came out as little more than a croak, burning my throat.

As soon as I moved, I felt a twitch beside me and I fell to my side, tackled by a small white form.

"Cynder!" Myst squeaked in joy, squeezing the living daylights out of me.

From in front, another familiar voice chuckled, "Easy there, tigress, don't strangle her."

A great red head came down to be level with mine, a gentle smile gracing it. "Feeling better, Cynder?"

I grunted, "Not really, Ignitus, that battle took _everything_. I can barely lift my head. I can't feel my elements!"

Terror wove icy claws around my heart.

He sighed, nodding. "Yes, Cynder, it will take some time for your powers to return."

As my head drooped, Ignitus continued. "But they will in time, young dragoness, they will in time."

He turned his head, and for the first time I noticed a similarly exhausted, young purple dragon laying a few feet from me.

"Young dragon-," Ignitus started, but was cut off by a timid voice.

"Spyro… Please. Call me Spyro."

I looked at 'Spyro'. He still had a sadly mangled, bloodied paw, and a large crack in his front chest-plate was bleeding where I'd struck him. He was still well-muscled, though not absurdly so as the General had been. His belly and horns were now a bright, burnished gold rather than the General's murky excuse of the color. His scales only held one trace of shadow, a black sparkle at the back of his neck. His eyes were a breathtaking amethyst, and his wing membranes now bore an orange rather than a bloody crimson hue.

Ignitus smiled. "Well, Spyro. Ever since I failed the night of the raid, I've dreamt of this day, when I would see young ones again, so full of light…"

"It wasn't just you, Ignitus, we all failed," Volteer cut in. Cyril—to my surprise—and Terrador nodded their agreement.

Ignitus straightened, "Be that as it may, we're together now. Thanks to Cynder."

He looked down at me. "Well done, young dragon."

His smile was infectious, and my face was graced with a small one of my own. But it vanished, ghostlike, just as quickly. "Thanks, Ignitus, but we still don't know what happened to the Dark Master…"

It was Terrador's gruff voice that answered me, "No matter, Cynder. There will be time to talk of the Dark Master later. However, _now_ is the time to rejoice in your success."

Before he could continue, Sparx cut in, "Wait a minute, _her_ success? What about me?!"

Arms crossed in consternation, he continued, "Just 'cause a bunch of weird stuff don't fly outta my mouth doesn't mean I didn't help, ya' know!"

I snorted, "I suppose you had your uses."

My eyes slitted, and I smirked. "But, you know? For the record? Some pretty weird stuff _does_ fly outta that little mouth of yours."

He glared at me, "What the heck is that s'pposed to mean? You know, I don't need this, I could have stayed with the llama people where I was appreciated! But no—"

I laid my head on my forepaws, silently listening to Sparx's sad attempt to chew out the guardians. Before long, he had managed to get Cyril and Volteer into another argument. Doing my best to ignore the buzz of voices, I sighed.

Spyro stared at them, silently edging closer to me.

"Er…" he whispered, "are they always this bad?"

I cocked one eyebrow at him, "This bad? You're joking, right?"

At his confused glance, I smirked. "Nope. They're a hell of a lot worse."


	49. Epilogue

_Darkness comes, like a soul into sleep,_

_Life goes on 'matter how you weep._

_Standing here, having come so far,_

_Wish with me on a fallen star._

_Raise your wings, hold on tight,_

_Don't forget there's still the moonlight._

_And when all seems lost and the end isn't near,_

_Your heart will say where to go from here._

_Found you here, after journeys long,_

_Feels like everything that could went so wrong._

_Choked up in the black of night,_

_Feels like finally things are going right._

_Raise your wings, hold on tight,_

_Don't forget there's still the moonlight._

_And when all seems lost and the end isn't near,_

_Your heart will say where to go from here._

_Pray for those didn't make it this far,_

_Grateful you escaped death's door, still ajar._

_Raise your head, don't let those tears abide,_

_Smile in the dark, even if teary-eyed._

_Raise your wings, hold on tight,_

_Don't forget there's still the moonlight._

_And when all seems lost and the end isn't near,_

_Your heart will say where to go from here._

_Feels good having made it this far,_

_Peace for now, just where we are._

_My heart's just so full right now…_

_Nothing will force my head to bow!_

_Raise your wings, hold on tight,_

_Don't forget there's still the moonlight._

_And when all seems lost and the end isn't near,_

_Your heart will say where to go from here._

I stretched, sighing, and padded out to the balcony, looking over the rim. The moons. Something that always used to comfort me now sent a dark chill up my spine. The smattering of bright stars on the horizon weren't cheerful tonight. Rather, they looked like deadly shards of glimmering ice, cold and foreboding, scattered across a disconcerting ebony sky.

Something is very wrong…

I turned as footfalls on stone drew my attention to Spyro, emerging from the temple. The slightest noises would make him twitch nervously and swing his head to find their origins. That was how he had been since he had arrived, quiet and nervous. I suppose I couldn't blame him, but I still couldn't hide my chuckle.

The scales that covered his cheeks gained a ruby tinge as I snorted in amusement. He stepped up next to me, seeming to find his forepaws incredibly entertaining. "See anything, Cynder?"

I sighed, all traces of light-heartedness evaporating quickly, "No, but I have a bad feeling…"

A terrible, gut wrenching dread…

"Me too…" He looked at the moons, casting a shine on his amethyst scales as he sank to his haunches. "Dare we hope this peace will last?"

I snorted, tossing my head and looking to the moons, "Heh. I'm not that naïve."

And yet still, I hope…

(A/N. It's over… I can't believe it's over… Okay, well, one thing, the prologue of the sequel is now up. "Legend of Cynder: Shadow of the Eternal Night." Everything else I have to say is in the A/N of that, so please head over there if you wish. Thank you all for all the incredible support, every review gives me a smile and a ray of sunshine. More of that in the EN A/N.)


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